EPR Glossary
A comprehensive reference of UK packaging EPR and compliance terms. From DEFRA to fee modulation, understand every term you will encounter on your compliance journey.
Compliance Scheme
An organisation that manages packaging waste obligations on behalf of producers. Under the new EPR regime, producers report directly to DEFRA via the RPD portal and pay fees to PackUK, but some businesses still use compliance schemes for guidance and support with their obligations.
CSV Report
A Comma-Separated Values file used to submit packaging data to DEFRA's RPD system. The platform generates CSV reports formatted exactly as DEFRA expects, with the correct column headers, data types, and structure — eliminating formatting errors and rejected submissions.
DEFRA
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. DEFRA is the UK government department responsible for environmental policy, including packaging EPR regulations. They set the rules, define reporting requirements, and oversee the compliance framework that obligated producers must follow.
Disposal Cost Fee
A fee charged to producers based on the amount and type of packaging they place on the market. These fees fund the collection, sorting, and recycling of packaging waste. Fee rates vary by material type — for example, plastic packaging attracts higher fees than glass. Fees are calculated per tonne of packaging handled.
Environment Agency
The regulatory body responsible for enforcing packaging EPR regulations in England. The Environment Agency monitors compliance, investigates breaches, and has powers to issue warning letters, compliance notices, civil penalties, and criminal prosecutions for non-compliant businesses.
EPR
Extended Producer Responsibility. A regulatory framework that makes businesses financially responsible for the packaging they place on the UK market. EPR requires obligated producers to report their packaging data, pay disposal fees, and contribute to the costs of collecting and recycling packaging waste. The UK's packaging EPR scheme became mandatory from April 2025.
Extended Producer Responsibility
The full name for EPR. A policy principle where producers bear a significant degree of responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products throughout the product life cycle, including end-of-life management such as collection, recycling, and disposal of packaging waste.
Fee Modulation
A mechanism that adjusts EPR fees based on how recyclable a producer's packaging is. Packaging that is easier to recycle attracts lower fees, while hard-to-recycle or non-recyclable packaging attracts higher fees. Fee modulation incentivises businesses to design packaging that is easier to recycle and uses more sustainable materials.
From/To Country
Data fields in the RPD submission that record where packaging originates from and where it is sent to. This is particularly relevant for imported and exported goods, where the country of origin or destination must be recorded as part of the packaging data submission to DEFRA.
Household Packaging
Packaging that ends up in household waste streams — collected from homes via kerbside collections or taken to household waste recycling centres. Producers of household packaging face higher EPR fees because local authorities bear the cost of collecting and sorting this waste. Examples include food packaging, drinks bottles, and online shopping deliveries.
Kerbside Collection
The collection of packaging waste from households at the kerbside by local authorities. Under EPR, producers whose packaging ends up in kerbside collections must contribute to the cost of this collection through their EPR fees. The type of packaging collected at the kerbside varies by local authority.
Large Producer
A business with an annual turnover of £2 million or more AND handling more than 50 tonnes of packaging per year. Large producers have more extensive reporting obligations than small producers — they must submit data every six months (H1: January-June, due by 1 October; H2: July-December, due by 1 April) and pay higher EPR fees.
Material Type
The classification of packaging by what it is made from. DEFRA recognises the following material types: aluminium, fibre-based composite, glass, paper and card, plastic, steel, wood, and other. Each material type has different recycling targets and EPR fee rates. Producers must report packaging weight broken down by material type.
Nation Data
Packaging data broken down by the UK nation where packaging is placed on the market — England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland. Each nation has its own environmental regulator and may have slightly different requirements. Producers selling across multiple nations must report data separately for each.
NIEA
The Northern Ireland Environment Agency. The regulatory body responsible for enforcing packaging EPR regulations in Northern Ireland. NIEA works alongside the Environment Agency (England), SEPA (Scotland), and NRW (Wales) to ensure businesses comply with packaging obligations.
Non-household Packaging
Packaging that enters commercial or industrial waste streams rather than household waste. This includes packaging used in business-to-business transactions, such as transit packaging, bulk containers, and commercial product packaging. Non-household packaging typically attracts lower EPR fees than household packaging.
NRW
Natural Resources Wales. The regulatory body responsible for enforcing packaging EPR regulations in Wales. NRW monitors compliance for businesses placing packaging on the market in Wales and has similar enforcement powers to the Environment Agency in England.
Obligated Producer
A business that meets the turnover and tonnage thresholds for packaging EPR and is therefore legally required to report their packaging data and pay EPR fees. To be obligated, a business must have an annual turnover of £1 million or more AND handle 25 or more tonnes of packaging per year. Charities are exempt.
Organisation ID
A unique identifier assigned to each business that registers for packaging EPR on the RPD portal. The Organisation ID is used in all data submissions and correspondence with DEFRA and the regulators. It is essential for tracking compliance status and linking packaging data to the correct business.
Packaging Activity
The type of packaging-related activity a business performs. The main activities that trigger EPR obligations are: packing or filling goods into packaging, importing products in packaging, selling goods under your own brand in packaging, supplying empty packaging to another business, and hiring or lending reusable packaging.
Packaging Class
The classification of packaging as either primary, secondary (grouped), tertiary (transit), or shipment packaging. Each class serves a different function in the supply chain and may attract different EPR fees. Producers must report their packaging data broken down by packaging class.
Packaging Export Recovery Note
See PERN. A certificate that proves packaging waste has been exported from the UK for recycling or recovery in another country. PERNs are issued by accredited exporters and can be purchased by obligated producers to demonstrate compliance with recycling and recovery targets.
Packaging Recovery Note
See PRN. A certificate issued by accredited reprocessors in the UK that confirms packaging waste has been recycled or recovered. PRNs are tradeable certificates that producers can purchase to meet their recycling and recovery obligations under the packaging waste regulations.
Packaging Type
A specific description of the packaging item — for example, "cardboard shipping box", "polythene mailer bag", or "glass bottle". Each packaging type is categorised by material type and packaging class. The EPR Compliance platform allows you to track each packaging type individually for accurate reporting.
Packaging Waste Regulations
The legislation underpinning packaging EPR in the UK. The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations set out who is obligated, what must be reported, and the penalties for non-compliance. These regulations have been significantly updated with the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility.
PackUK
The scheme administrator appointed by DEFRA to manage the collection of packaging data and fees from obligated producers under EPR. PackUK collects data submissions via the RPD portal, calculates fees, and distributes payments to local authorities to fund packaging waste collection and recycling.
PERN
Packaging Export Recovery Note. A certificate confirming that packaging waste has been exported from the UK and recycled or recovered in another country. PERNs are issued by accredited exporters and serve a similar purpose to PRNs but for packaging waste processed outside the UK.
Primary Packaging
The packaging that directly contains a product and is typically seen by the end consumer. Examples include a plastic bottle holding shampoo, a cardboard box around a cereal product, or a polythene bag containing a garment. Primary packaging is the first layer of packaging that comes into contact with the product.
PRN
Packaging Recovery Note. A tradeable certificate issued by an accredited UK reprocessor confirming that a specified tonnage of packaging waste has been recycled or recovered. Obligated producers must acquire enough PRNs (or PERNs for exported waste) to meet their recycling and recovery targets for each material type.
Producer
Any business that performs a packaging activity — such as packing goods, importing packaged products, selling goods under their own brand, or supplying empty packaging. Not all producers are obligated; only those meeting both the turnover (£1m+) and tonnage (25+ tonnes) thresholds must report and pay EPR fees.
Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM)
A standardised method for assessing how recyclable a piece of packaging is. RAM evaluates packaging against criteria including whether collection infrastructure exists, whether the packaging can be sorted effectively, and whether end markets exist for the recycled material. RAM scores feed into fee modulation — more recyclable packaging attracts lower EPR fees.
RPD
Report Packaging Data. The DEFRA portal where obligated producers submit their packaging data. The RPD system accepts CSV uploads containing packaging weight, material type, packaging category, and activity data. Our platform generates RPD-compatible reports that can be uploaded directly without reformatting.
Secondary Packaging
Packaging used to group multiple primary-packaged products together. Also known as grouped packaging. Examples include a cardboard tray holding six cans, a shrink-wrap bundle of water bottles, or a display box containing multiple retail items. Secondary packaging is typically removed before the product reaches the end consumer.
Self-managed Waste
Packaging waste that a business manages through its own waste collection and recycling arrangements rather than relying on local authority services. Businesses that self-manage their packaging waste may have different reporting requirements and fee obligations under EPR.
SEPA
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The regulatory body responsible for enforcing packaging EPR regulations in Scotland. SEPA monitors compliance for businesses placing packaging on the Scottish market and works alongside regulators in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
SIC Code
Standard Industrial Classification code. A numerical code used to classify a business by its type of economic activity. SIC codes are required when registering for packaging EPR on the RPD portal. Common examples include 47910 (retail sale via mail order or internet), 10710 (manufacture of bread), and 14190 (manufacture of other wearing apparel).
Small Producer
A business with a turnover between £1 million and £2 million AND handling more than 25 tonnes of packaging per year, OR a turnover above £1 million AND handling between 25 and 50 tonnes. Small producers have simpler reporting obligations — they submit data annually, with full-year data due by 1 April. They pay lower EPR fees than large producers.
Street Bin Waste
Packaging waste disposed of in public litter bins on streets and in public spaces. Under EPR, producers whose packaging is likely to end up as street litter may face additional fees to cover the cost of cleaning up this waste. This is part of the "full net cost" principle of Extended Producer Responsibility.
Subsidiary ID
An identifier used when a parent organisation has multiple subsidiary businesses that each need to report packaging data separately. Subsidiary IDs link child organisations to the parent Organisation ID on the RPD portal, allowing group-level reporting while maintaining individual subsidiary compliance records.
Tonnage Threshold
The minimum weight of packaging a business must handle per year to be considered an obligated producer. The threshold is 25 tonnes per year. Businesses handling less than 25 tonnes of packaging are not obligated under EPR, regardless of their turnover. Tonnage is measured across all packaging activities combined.
Transit Packaging
Packaging used to protect products during transportation and distribution. Also called tertiary packaging. Examples include pallets, pallet wrap, edge protectors, and large outer shipping containers. Transit packaging is typically used in business-to-business logistics and is removed before products reach the end consumer.
Turnover Threshold
The minimum annual turnover a business must have to be considered an obligated producer under packaging EPR. The threshold is £1 million per year. Businesses with a turnover below £1 million are not obligated, regardless of how much packaging they handle. Turnover is assessed based on the most recent financial year.
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