Wine & Spirits Packaging EPR Compliance
Heavy glass bottles, premium gift packaging, and DRS preparation — wine and spirits businesses face significant EPR obligations.
Wine & Spirits EPR: What You Need to Know
Wine and spirits businesses face some of the highest absolute EPR costs due to the weight of glass packaging. A standard wine bottle weighs 400-500g, a premium bottle 700-900g, and a spirits bottle can exceed 1kg. Glass dominates your EPR bill.
The trend towards lighter-weight bottles can significantly reduce both EPR fees and carbon footprint. Moving from a 750g bottle to a 400g bottle saves 350g per unit — across 100,000 bottles, that is 35 tonnes less glass to report and pay fees on.
For 2025-2026, the base fees per tonne are: glass at £192 (your biggest cost), aluminium at £50 (screw caps, foils), paper and card at £196 (labels, cases), and wood at £280 (wooden gift boxes). A wine business selling 200,000 bottles at 500g each handles 100 tonnes of glass = £19,200 in glass EPR fees alone.
Wine and spirits bottles will be in scope for the Deposit Return Scheme when it launches. Our platform will handle the EPR/DRS crossover when the time comes.
See also our guides for drinks & beverages and hospitality packaging.
Common Wine & Spirits Packaging
These are the key packaging types you need to track and report for EPR compliance in the wine & spirits sector.
Glass Bottles
Wine bottles (300-900g each), spirit bottles (400-1200g). Glass is heavy — your largest tonnage and cost driver.
Closures
Cork (natural material), screw caps (aluminium), synthetic corks (plastic). Each is a separate packaging component.
Capsules/Foils
Tin, aluminium, or PVC capsules over the bottle neck. Report under the appropriate material.
Labels
Paper front and back labels, plus any neck labels. Include adhesive labels under paper/card.
Gift Boxes & Tubes
Card tubes, wooden boxes, and presentation packaging for premium spirits and gift sets.
Shipping Cases
Corrugated cases (6-pack or 12-pack) with cardboard dividers. Transit packaging.
What You Need to Do
As a wine & spirits 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 glass bottle by weight (not averages across styles)
- Report closures, capsules, and labels as separate components
- Include gift and presentation packaging in calculations
- Record transit packaging (cases, dividers, pallet wrap)
- 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 Wine & Spirits Compliance Mistakes
Avoid these frequent pitfalls that catch out wine & spirits businesses every year.
Glass weight variation
Wine bottle weights range from 300g (lightweight) to 900g+ (premium heavy). Using average weights across a range with both light and heavy bottles leads to major errors.
Forgetting closures and capsules
Corks, screw caps, and bottle capsules are all separate packaging components. A single bottle has at least 3 packaging items: bottle, closure, label(s).
Gift packaging seasonality
Christmas and Father's Day drive gift set sales. Presentation boxes and tubes are significantly heavier than standard packaging.
Not preparing for DRS
Wine and spirits bottles will likely be in scope for DRS when it launches. Plan for dual EPR/DRS obligations.
Wine & Spirits EPR Questions
Common questions about packaging EPR for wine & spirits businesses.
How much do glass EPR fees cost for wine businesses?
Glass EPR fees are £192/tonne for 2025-2026. A wine business selling 200,000 bottles at 500g each handles 100 tonnes of glass, costing approximately £19,200 in glass EPR fees alone. Plus closures, labels, and transit packaging.
Does cork have an EPR fee?
Natural cork is classified under "other" materials for EPR. The fee rate is relatively low. Synthetic corks (plastic) are classified under plastic at £423/tonne.
How will DRS affect wine and spirits?
Glass bottles for wine and spirits are expected to be in scope for DRS when it launches (target 2027). This means deposits on bottles alongside EPR obligations. The exact interplay is being finalised — we will update our platform accordingly.
Do I need different EPR reports for different wine brands?
If you own multiple brands, you can report all packaging under a single producer registration — you do not need separate registrations per brand. But track packaging data per brand/product for accuracy.
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