UK packaging EPR regulations (pEPR) 2024

SPI analysis Our reading of the official source above. Not legal advice; always rely on the official text.

SPI summary

The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 apply to UK producers supplying more than 25 tonnes of packaging with turnover of £1 million or more. All must register and report packaging data; large producers (over £2 million and more than 50 tonnes) also pay disposal fees for household packaging waste, collected by a scheme administrator.

In practice

SI 2024/1332 is the legal base for UK packaging extended producer responsibility. UK-established businesses that supply or import packaging and pass the size tests register with the environmental regulator each year and report packaging data; large producers also pay household packaging disposal fees to the scheme administrator (PackUK) and meet recycling obligations through PRNs or PERNs. Brand owners, packer-fillers and importers are the main producer types, and converters are affected through data requests and recyclability assessment.

What to do and by when

1. NowCheck group turnover and packaging tonnage, as group totals decide whether each UK member is large or small.
2. 1 October 2026Confirm large producer data for January to June 2026 is submitted and the annual registration fee is paid.
3. 1 April 2027Plan the July to December 2026 data submission for large producers and the full-year 2026 data for small producers.
4. NowMap packaging by recyclability rating, since disposal fees are modulated from year 2.

Related rules

• PR-GB-003 PackUK year 2 (2026-27) modulated packaging EPR fees
  Sets the year 2 (2026-27) modulated disposal fees charged under these regulations.
• PR-GB-001 UK Plastic Packaging Tax
  Same jurisdiction: Plastic Packaging Tax is a separate charge on the same plastic packaging.
• PR-GB-004 Deposit return scheme for drinks containers (England and Northern Ireland)
  Drinks containers in the England and Northern Ireland deposit scheme are handled through a separate regime from 2027.
• PR-DE-001 Germany Packaging Law Implementation Act (VerpackDG) replaces VerpackG
  Same type elsewhere: Germany's VerpackDG packaging EPR with LUCID registration.

Where the record is unclear

• Regulation 1 gives commencement as the 21st day after making (11 December 2024), which is 1 January 2025; some provisions began the day after making. Several later amendments were not reviewed.
• Thresholds are taken from GOV.UK guidance; the producer definitions in the regulations were not read in full.

Sources for this note

1. legislation.gov.uk: SI 2024/1332 Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, introduction Consulted 13 October 2026
2. legislation.gov.uk: SI 2024/1332 regulation 1 Consulted 13 October 2026
3. GOV.UK: EPR for packaging, check if your business is affected (large and small producers) Consulted 13 October 2026
4. GOV.UK: Deadlines for registration and packaging data reporting Consulted 13 October 2026

Note written by the SPI team on 13 October 2026.

Where it sits in the tracker

• One of 7 packaging rules we track in the United Kingdom, of which 2 are EPR rules.
• In all, 25 EPR rules are tracked across 15 jurisdictions. Compare them below

Company profiles that map to this rule

Companies whose SPI profile lists this rule in its regulatory exposure, based on where they report selling. Not company-reported.

• AB InBev
• ALDI UK
• Amazon
• Colgate-Palmolive
• Dabur India
• Danone
• Diageo
• General Mills
• GSK
• Haleon
• HEINEKEN
• Henkel
• Kenvue
• Keurig Dr Pepper
• Kimberly-Clark
• L'Oréal
• Lidl
• Mars
• McDonald's
• Mondelēz International
• Nestlé
• PepsiCo
• Pfizer
• Procter & Gamble
• Reckitt
• Sanofi
• Starbucks
• Tata Consumer Products
• Tesco
• The Coca-Cola Company
• The Estée Lauder Companies
• The Kraft Heinz Company
• Unilever