RECOUP Attends PackUK Webinar on 2025 pEPR Base Fees

RECOUP attended PackUK’s informative webinar on Thursday 10 July, which focused on the finalised 2025 Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) base fees.

Key takeaways from the session are outlined below:

• 2025 Base Fees confirmed – PackUK confirmed the final base fees for 2025 and explained how they were calculated. This included how Local Authority (LA) costs were determined and why base fees differ between materials, largely due to variations in placed-on-the-market (POM) tonnages and material-specific cost factors.
• Updates from illustrative to actual data – Officials explained that earlier indicative base fees were based on estimates, whereas the final fees have drawn on a broader and more robust dataset, contributing to the observed changes.
• Packaging tonnage and adjustments – Details were shared around what packaging tonnage was deemed in-scope, and how ‘missing tonnage’ was accounted for. Reasons for missing tonnage included late submissions and non-compliant producers (“free riders”). It was noted that late reporters tend to declare significantly less packaging than those submitting on time.
• Next steps – Further development of the LA cost model is expected. Guidance for producers on how to pay their EPR invoices – due in October – will be issued soon.
• Alignment with EU policy – In response to a question about how pEPR aligns with the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), Margaret Bates noted that while alignment cannot be guaranteed due to uncertainty over the final form of PPWR. PackUK is closely involved with several EU institutions however, and will work to ensure consistency where possible.
• International comparisons – It was confirmed that UK pEPR base fees are generally higher than in other countries. This is primarily due to differences in waste management costs across nations.
• VAT clarification – pEPR fees are not subject to VAT.