Table of Contents
- Why Pet Food Brands Must Act on EPR
- Obligation Thresholds
- Pet Food Packaging Types
- EPR Fee Impact
- Reporting Requirements
- Reducing EPR Costs
- Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- Pet food brands with £1M+ turnover and 25+ tonnes of packaging must register for packaging EPR and report data to DEFRA.
- Flexible pouches and multi-layer sachets are among the most expensive packaging types under EPR due to their multi-material construction.
- Steel and aluminium tins attract moderate EPR fees and benefit from high recyclability rates.
- Switching from multi-layer pouches to mono-material alternatives can reduce EPR fees significantly.
- Large pet food brands must report nation data showing where packaging is distributed across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Why Pet Food Brands Must Act on EPR
The UK pet food market is worth over £3.5 billion annually, and it is heavily packaging-intensive. Wet food in pouches and tins, dry food in bags, treats in sachets, and supplements in tubs — every product requires packaging that falls under EPR obligations.
The pet food sector faces a particular challenge because of its reliance on flexible multi-layer packaging. Pouches and sachets designed to preserve freshness typically combine plastic, aluminium foil, and adhesive layers. These multi-material structures attract the highest EPR fee rates because they are difficult to recycle.
For background on EPR, see what packaging EPR is.
Obligation Thresholds
The standard thresholds apply:
- Annual turnover of £1 million or more
- Handle 25 or more tonnes of packaging per year
Pet food brands reach the 25-tonne threshold quickly. A brand selling 10 million pouches per year (each pouch weighing around 5g) generates 50 tonnes of primary packaging from pouches alone, before counting secondary and transit packaging.
For full details, see who needs to register for packaging EPR.
Pet Food Packaging Types
Primary Packaging
- Flexible pouches — single-serve wet food (multi-layer: PET/aluminium/PE)
- Steel tins — traditional wet food cans (200g-800g)
- Aluminium trays — premium wet food formats
- Woven polypropylene sacks — large dry food bags (2kg-15kg)
- Plastic bags/film — dry food bags, treat bags
- Paper bags — premium and eco-focused dry food
- Plastic tubs — supplements, dental chews
- Sachets — single-serve treats and toppings
Secondary Packaging
- Cardboard multi-pack sleeves — grouping pouches or tins
- Shrink wrap — multi-pack bundling
- Cardboard shelf-ready displays — for retail
- Printed cardboard boxes — gift sets and premium ranges
Transit Packaging
- Corrugated cases — shipping cartons
- Stretch wrap — pallet wrap
- Pallet sheets — cardboard or plastic interlayers
- Void fill — for e-commerce orders
EPR Fee Impact
Pet food packaging costs under EPR are driven primarily by the material mix:
| Material | Fee per tonne (approx.) | Pet Food Use |
|---|---|---|
| Steel | £210 | Wet food tins |
| Aluminium | £230 | Trays, pouch layers |
| Plastic film | £360 | Pouches, bags |
| Multi-material flexible | £461 | Laminated pouches/sachets |
| Paper/card | £215 | Cardboard boxes, paper bags |
| Corrugated card | £215 | Shipping cases |
Cost Comparison: Pouches vs Tins
For a brand selling 50 million units of wet pet food per year:
| Format | Unit Weight | Total Tonnage | Fee Rate | Annual EPR Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-layer pouch | 5g | 250 tonnes | £461 | £115,250 |
| Steel tin (400g) | 40g | 2,000 tonnes | £210 | £420,000 |
While the tin generates more tonnage, the pouch’s multi-material classification pushes it into the highest fee bracket. The total cost depends on your specific volumes and mix.
For detailed fee rates, see the EPR fees by material type guide.
Reporting Requirements
What to Report
All obligated producers must submit data through DEFRA’s RPD portal:
- Material type and weight for each packaging component
- Activity type — manufacturing, importing, selling
- Packaging category — primary, secondary, transit
- Nation data (large producers) — distribution across the four UK nations
Data Collection Tips for Pet Food Brands
Pet food brands generally have well-documented packaging specifications because food safety regulations require them. Leverage this data:
- Use your packaging specs — your supplier will have exact weights for every pouch, tin, and bag format
- Cross-reference with production volumes — batch records or ERP data give exact unit counts
- Include promotional and seasonal packaging — Christmas gift sets, limited editions
- Track new product launches — update your data when introducing new formats
For detailed reporting guidance, see how to report packaging data to DEFRA.
Reducing EPR Costs
1. Transition to Mono-Material Pouches
The biggest cost lever for wet pet food brands is the pouch format. Multi-layer pouches (PET/aluminium/PE) attract the highest fees. Mono-material alternatives are emerging:
- Mono-PE pouches — recyclable through front-of-store collection points
- Mono-PP pouches — emerging technology with improving barrier properties
- Paper-based pouches — with thin barrier coatings
These attract lower EPR fees because they are classified as single-material packaging. The transition requires validation for shelf life and product integrity, but the EPR savings can be substantial.
2. Lightweighting
Reduce the weight of existing packaging without changing the material:
- Thinner can gauges — modern steel tins can be made with thinner walls
- Lighter pouch structures — reducing layer thicknesses
- Thinner bag materials — for dry food bags
Even a 5% weight reduction across millions of units saves meaningful tonnage.
3. Optimise Multi-Pack Packaging
Multi-pack sleeves and shrink wrap add tonnage. Consider:
- Cardboard sleeves instead of shrink wrap (lower fee rate)
- Thinner card grades for multi-pack outers
- Removing multi-pack packaging entirely — sell individual items with shelf-ready trays
4. Reduce Transit Packaging
- Right-size shipping cases for different product formats
- Reduce stretch wrap layers on pallets
- Use returnable transit packaging for regular distribution routes
5. Review E-Commerce Packaging
Direct-to-consumer pet food subscriptions are growing rapidly. If you offer subscription deliveries, the e-commerce packaging you add is your EPR obligation. Optimise box sizes and void fill for these channels.
Subscription Box Considerations
Many pet food brands now offer subscription boxes delivered direct to consumers. If you operate a subscription model, see our EPR for subscription box businesses guide for specific advice on managing packaging obligations for recurring deliveries.
The Plastic Packaging Tax
In addition to EPR fees, pet food brands manufacturing or importing plastic packaging with less than 30% recycled content must pay the Plastic Packaging Tax at £210.82 per tonne. This is a separate obligation from EPR.
Getting Started
- Check your obligation against turnover and tonnage thresholds
- Audit your packaging across all product lines and formats
- Register with a compliance scheme or the Environment Agency
- Submit data via DEFRA’s RPD portal
- Develop a packaging roadmap to reduce EPR costs over time
Use the EPR fee calculator to estimate your costs, and explore our compliance tools and pricing.