Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging waste consultation

Views sought from across industry and the public on how the proposed Extended Producer Responsibility scheme can be successful

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is seeking views on plans to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging in the UK alongside England, Scotland and Wales.

This will mean that packaging producers pay the full cost of managing packaging once it becomes waste in line with the “polluter pays” principle. It will incentivise the use of more recyclable materials, reducing the amount of hard to recycle packaging placed on the market.

Extended Producer Responsibility also gives producers an incentive to make better, more sustainable decisions at the product design stage including decisions that make it easier for products to be re-used or recycled at their end of life.

Views are sought about proposals on how the new scheme will operate, including:

• system design
• system governance
• producer obligations
• implementation timelines
• how the system will be enforced

DAERA hopes to engage the industry, as well as members of the public, on how the scheme will function to ensure it achieves the desired outcomes. Responses to this consultation will help inform final policy decisions on key aspects of the scheme, such as governance, recycling targets and implementation timelines.

Find out more details on the consultation and respond online.

The consultation will remain open until 23.59 on 4 June 2021.

First published 13 April 2021