Posted: 18/12/2025

Defra Announce EPR Illustrative Base Fees for 2026-2027

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced the illustrative waste disposal fees for Year 2 (2026–2027) under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging. These figures, prepared by PackUK, are designed to give large producers early visibility to support planning and compliance.

For the first time, modulated fees will apply, linking costs to recyclability through the Recycling Assessment Methodology (RAM). Packaging materials rated red for recyclability will incur fees around 20% higher than the base amber rate, while green-rated materials will benefit from an estimated discount of about 9%. This approach aims to encourage sustainable packaging design and reduce environmental impact.

Illustrative fees for Year 2 vary significantly by material type, reflecting differences in collection, sorting, and disposal costs. These variations are driven by updated local authority cost data and changes in reported packaging tonnages. Compared to Year 1, most amber fees have risen, with increases ranging from just 1% for aluminium to a substantial 60% for wood, underlining the importance of accurate reporting and the financial impact of material choices on producers.

Material	June 2025 Base Fee (£/tonne)	Green fee (£/tonne)	Amber fee (£/tonne)	Red fee (£/tonne)
Aluminium	266	245	270	325
Fibre-based composite	461	475	525	630
Glass	192	185	205	245
Paper and card	196	190	210	250
Plastic	423	415	455	545
Steel	259	260	290	345
Wood	280	410	450	540
Other	259	205	225	270

Table 1: Current best estimate of EPR for packaging Year 2 illustrative fees (rounded to the nearest £5) for all packaging materials. Source: Defra.

Final confirmed fees will be published in June 2026, following the April 1 reporting deadline for 2025 packaging data. Producers are reminded to continue submitting accurate data through the Reporting Packaging Data service, as regulators will monitor compliance closely.