UK businesses that export packaging waste need to register with the national packaging waste database (NPWD) to gain accreditation. This enables them to generate the packaging waste export recovery notes (PERNs) that waste producers can then buy to fulfil their recycling obligations.
Qualifying as a reprocessor or exporter
To become an accredited reprocessor or exporter, businesses must have a UK presence with a UK address for receiving business communications. They need to be actively receiving, treating and recycling UK sourced packaging waste, or exporting it to be recycled overseas. When packaging waste is recycled into a new product or material, it should require no further processing, meeting end of waste status.
How to register as an exporter or reprocessor
The first step to register as a UK reprocessor or exporter of packaging waste is to obtain a unique NPWD username and password from the relevant environmental regulator. England’s regulator is the Environment Agency, Scotland’s is SEPA, Northern Ireland’s is the NIEA, and that of Wales is NRW. The second step is to apply for accreditation on the NPWD site using the password and username provided by the regulator.
Reprocessors must submit an application for each of their sites, which are accredited separately, although an accreditation can cover multiple materials. Exporters can make a single application regardless of the number of their overseas reprocessing sites. These overseas sites can be added and paid for after accreditation has been issued. Accreditation in itself does not authorise the business to export waste. For this, the business must follow international waste shipment requirements.
Packaging waste producers
UK producers of packaging waste with a turnover of over £2m who handled 50 tonnes of packaging materials or packaging in the previous calendar year also need to register on the NPWD website, to pay for some of the costs of recovering and recycling their waste. Alternatively, packaging producer compliance schemes (PCSs) can register on behalf of their members.
How to register as an obligated packaging producer
A business or organisation that produces or uses packaging, or sells packaged goods, is likely to be classified as an obligated packaging producer. They must register by 7 April every year, meet their recycling obligations, and obtain evidence of compliance. They should also submit a certificate of compliance (CoC) by 31 January the following year.
Obligated producers need to submit packaging data (such as packaging activities and tonnage) on the NPWD site along with their business details and contact information. The NPWD automatically calculates the producer’s obligation based on the submitted data, which the producer then needs to review. If the producer’s main activity is selling packaged goods, they need to upload supporting information about how customers are notified about recycling matters, such as return and collection systems. Lastly, there is a packaging producer charge which needs to be paid offline.
