Published over the weekend (26 March), the document shows that the the overall cost of the system will be reduced by £1 billion to £1.7 billion. This is because Defra has opted to ditch its plans for the collection and managing of packaging waste from businesses, which had proved controversial (see letsrecycle.com story).
Defra said it will instead adopt an “interim solution” based around the current PRN system.
Defra will establish a taskforce with the involvement of producers, local authorities and the waste sector, to “improve data and develop and review options” for payments for business packaging waste, ahead of a review in 2026/27.
Decisions
Other decisions made by Defra include mandating kerbside collection of film by 31 March 2027, mandatory recyclability labelling from 2026, and dropping litter costs from EPR payments in England and Northern Ireland.
Defra also stated that it would introduce mandatory recyclability labelling from 2026, with compostable having to be labelled as ‘not recyclable’.
Online marketplaces based outside of the UK but selling goods in the country selling goods in the UK will also be brought in scope.
Defra also pledged to roll out a mandatory takeback scheme for fibre-based composite cups in 2024.
Timelines
The response document explained that Defra will implement EPR in a phased manner from 2024, rather than 2023.
This will focus on payments for household packaging waste and packaging in street bins managed by local authorities, with such payments being determined from 1 April 2024.
EPR will be implemented in full in 2025.
PRN
Defra will also “continue the current PRN arrangements to demonstrate recycling obligations have been met”.
On targets for 2023, when the current PRN system will continue, Defra explained: “We will roll over the 2022 packaging waste business recycling targets to 2023 for all packaging materials.
“We accept that businesses will have additional requirements in 2023 as they prepare for the introduction of EPR in 2024”.
Also, targets were set for packaging in scope of the EPR regulations, which are outlined below.
DRS
The consultation document also said that England and Northern Ireland will not include glass in their DRS.
Instead, glass drinks bottles will be in scope of EPR, which will place targets on producers.
On consistent collections, Defra will “publish the government’s response to the consultation in due course”.
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