Yet another delay to the launch of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme – now scheduled for October 2025 – might come as a relief to some UK producers of packaging waste.
The new scheme shifts additional costs and reporting requirements onto businesses that were previously shouldered by councils. It aims to make producers pay for the full net costs of managing and recycling their packaging. The idea is to discourage ‘excessive’ packaging, incentivise the adoption of more recyclable packaging, and drive up the overall rate of recycling.
Costs of red tape led to delay
However, fears that the scheme would push up prices and increase red tape led to a temporary reprieve. This means that packaging producers and traders will be spared additional costs that the reform would have introduced in 2024 – having been pushed back before from 2018. Due to these delays, packaging recovery notes (PRN) and packaging export recovery notes (PERN) will be around for another year or two at least.
Digital waste tracking due in April 2025?
Mandatory digital waste tracking (MDWT) is another UK government-backed reform which it is rumoured will be delayed beyond its current launch date of April 2025. However, the increased availability of digital solutions such as CTRM software, that are capable of bringing efficiencies to trading businesses while connecting to live data with third parties such as government agencies, suggest that change in on the way.
Exporters of secondary raw materials and recyclables such as waste paper, OCC, scrap metal and waste plastics should expect greater scrutiny in the years ahead. These challenges will require digital solutions such as chain of custody platforms that can mitigate risk and build trust along the supply chain.
