DEFRA Publish pEPR Guidance for Registering with Environmental Regulators and Paying Fees

In addition to last week’s EPR updates on the UK Joint policy statement and guidance on producer recycling obligations and disposal fees, DEFRA also released essential guidance on registering with environmental regulators and the associated fees.

The guidance released on 27 February includes information on how to register, the deadlines for registration and what happens if obligated parties do not comply with the guidance.

It confirms all obligated organisations must register by 1 April 2025. Organisations that register after this deadline will have to pay a late fee of £332, on top of normal registration fees, and could be subject to enforcement action being taken.

For the following year (2026-27), large organisations must register by October 2025, and small organisations by 1 April 2026.

Fees vary depending on factors such as the size of the organisation, whether it operates through a compliance scheme, its structure (including groups and subsidiaries), and whether it functions as an online marketplace.

If an organisation operates through a compliance scheme, they will not need to register, as the compliance scheme will do this on their behalf. The organisation will need to pay a different, reduced fee, on top of the fees to their compliance scheme.

Organisations must also have an ‘approved person’ accept-ed before submitting their first set of data. Regulators may take up to 28 days to process and accept an approved person request.

To see cost details and the guidance in full, click here.