Drinks & Beverages Packaging EPR Compliance
Bottles, cans, cartons, and multipack packaging — drinks businesses face high-volume EPR obligations. We handle the complexity.
Drinks & Beverages EPR: What You Need to Know
Drinks businesses typically handle the highest packaging volumes of any sector, making EPR compliance both critical and costly. A medium-sized drinks manufacturer might handle hundreds of tonnes of glass, plastic, and aluminium packaging per year, resulting in significant EPR fees.
The drinks sector must also prepare for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), expected to launch in 2027. When DRS goes live, certain drink containers (PET bottles, glass bottles, aluminium and steel cans) will be in scope for both EPR and DRS. The interplay between the two schemes is still being finalised — our platform will be updated as guidance is published.
For 2025-2026, the base fees per tonne are: glass at £192 (typically the largest cost for wine/spirits), plastic at £423 (PET bottles), aluminium at £50 (cans), and paper and card at £196 (carton components, multipack sleeves). Glass may be cheap per tonne but bottles are heavy, so total fees can be substantial.
Multi-material cartons (Tetra Pak style) require splitting into paper, plastic, and aluminium components. Our platform has pre-configured templates for standard carton formats.
See also our guides for food & drink, wine & spirits, and Deposit Return Scheme.
Common Drinks & Beverages Packaging
These are the key packaging types you need to track and report for EPR compliance in the drinks & beverages sector.
PET Bottles
Clear PET bottles for water, soft drinks, and juices. Include caps (often PP) as separate material. High volume — even grams matter.
Aluminium Cans
Beverage cans for beer, soft drinks, and energy drinks. Report under aluminium. Include ring-pull and any printed shrink sleeve.
Glass Bottles
Glass bottles for beer, wine, spirits, and premium soft drinks. Heavy per unit — glass is a major tonnage driver.
Multipack Wraps
Plastic shrink wrap, card sleeves, or hi-cone rings holding multipacks together. Secondary packaging under EPR.
Cartons (Tetra Pak)
Liquid cartons for juice, milk, and plant-based drinks. Multi-material (paper, plastic, aluminium) — report each component.
Labels & Closures
Bottle labels (paper or plastic), caps, and tamper-evident seals. Each is a separate packaging component for EPR.
What You Need to Do
As a drinks & beverages business handling packaging, you have specific EPR obligations under the UK's Extended Producer Responsibility scheme. Here is what you need to track and report to stay compliant.
- Track every container type by material and weight (bottles, cans, cartons)
- Report closures and labels as separate packaging components
- Include multipack and transit packaging in calculations
- Account for DRS-eligible containers when the scheme launches
- Submit data to DEFRA via the RPD portal
- Pay EPR fees based on total packaging weight by material type
Do you need to comply?
You are obligated if your business:
- • Has an annual turnover exceeding £1 million
- • Handles more than 25 tonnes of packaging per year
- • Performs any of the obligated activities (manufacturing, importing, selling, hiring)
Even small producers below these thresholds must register as small producers under the Report Packaging Data (RPD) portal.
Common Drinks & Beverages Compliance Mistakes
Avoid these frequent pitfalls that catch out drinks & beverages businesses every year.
Ignoring closure materials
PET bottles often have PP caps, PE cap liners, and PET labels — three different plastics. Report each separately rather than lumping as "plastic".
Incorrect glass weight per bottle
Glass bottle weights vary significantly — a wine bottle can be 300g to 900g depending on style. Use actual manufacturer weights, not estimates.
Missing multipack packaging
Card sleeves, shrink wrap, and hi-cone rings on multipacks are secondary packaging that must be reported separately from the primary container.
Not accounting for DRS overlap
When the Deposit Return Scheme launches, some containers will be in scope for both EPR and DRS. Understand which items fall under each scheme.
Drinks & Beverages EPR Questions
Common questions about packaging EPR for drinks & beverages businesses.
How do I report Tetra Pak cartons?
Tetra Pak cartons are multi-material — typically 75% paper/card, 20% plastic (PE), and 5% aluminium. Split the weight proportionally and report each material separately. We have pre-configured templates for standard carton formats.
Will DRS replace EPR for drinks packaging?
No. DRS and EPR will run alongside each other. DRS applies to specific drink containers (bottles and cans in certain size ranges). EPR still applies to all packaging. There will be adjustments to avoid double-charging on DRS-eligible items.
Do I report bottle caps separately?
Yes. If the cap is a different material from the bottle (e.g., PP cap on PET bottle), report them as separate packaging components under their respective material categories. Include cap liners too.
How is glass weight calculated for wine bottles?
Use the actual bottle weight from your glass supplier specifications. Wine bottles range from about 300g (lightweight) to 900g+ (premium heavy bottles). Never use averages across different bottle styles — the weight variation is too large.
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