Extended Producer Responsibility
A policy approach where producers bear significant responsibility for the environmental impact of their products throughout the product lifecycle, including take-back, recycling, and final disposal of packaging waste.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a cornerstone environmental policy that shifts the financial and operational burden of managing packaging waste from local authorities and taxpayers to the businesses that produce, import, or sell packaged goods. Under EPR, producers must fund the collection, sorting, and recycling of packaging they place on the market.
In the UK, the EPR for packaging scheme (known as pEPR) was reformed under the Environment Act 2021 and began phased implementation from 2024. Obligated producers must:
- Register with a compliance scheme or directly with the Environment Agency
- Report packaging data via the RPD (Report Packaging Data) service
- Pay waste management fees to cover the full net cost of managing packaging waste
- Meet modulated fee obligations based on the recyclability of their packaging
EPR applies to any business handling more than 25 tonnes of packaging annually with a turnover above £1 million. The scheme is administered by DEFRA and enforced by the devolved environmental regulators. See our complete guide to EPR for packaging.
Related Terms
pEPR Regulations
The reformed Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging regulations in the U...
Obligated Producer
A business that meets the legal thresholds for packaging tonnage and turnover, m...
Compliance Scheme
An approved organisation that manages EPR obligations on behalf of obligated pro...
Waste Management Fees
The fees charged to producers under pEPR to cover the full net cost of collectin...
Modulated Fees
Fee adjustments applied on top of base fees that reward recyclable packaging wit...
More regulation Terms
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