Guidance on Recycling Obligations and Waste Disposal Fees for Packaging Producers Updated

On 25 February 2025, DEFRA and the Environment Agency updated the guidance published on 19 December 2024 on producer recycling obligations and disposal fees, replacing the previous packaging waste: producer responsibility guidance on 7 January 2025.

The update removed date sensitive guidance for December 2024 and January 2025, as the previous guidance has now been replaced, and emphasised that obligations have to be met per material – more on this below.

The guidance states that a business affected by EPR, or a compliance scheme working on their behalf, must:

• Create an account on the report packaging data service
• Submit your organisation details
• Submit your packaging data
• Pay your registration fees to your environmental regulator

The guidance also states that whether a large organisation, or a compliance scheme working on their behalf, that a review of recycling obligations is required and PRNs and ePRNs (or PERNS) must be acquired (as with the original guidance under the 2007 producer obligations legislation).

Businesses supplying packaging to the UK must provide PRNs and ePRNs as evidence of meeting their obligations and ensure they are fulfilled individually and in full for each material.

Excess PRNs or ePRNs from one material cannot be used to meet obligations for another; they are material-specific.

Additionally, starting in October 2025, producers will be responsible for covering waste disposal costs directly, as a compliance scheme will not be permitted to make payments on their behalf.

To read the guidance in full, please click here.