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Defra releases third round of pEPR base fees

Towards the end of last year, Defra released the third round of its estimated base fees for extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR).

The first and second rounds were released on 30 September 2024 and 15 August 2024 respectively.

The third round of fees are as follows, rounded to the nearest £5:

Material Rate (in £ per tonne)
Aluminium £435
Fibre composite £455
Glass £240
Paper £215
Plastic £485
Steel £305
Wood £320
Other £280

The fees cover the cost of collecting and recycling packaging waste by local authorities and are paid by producers in addition to any PRN obligations.

Released on 20 December, the fees will apply to packaging placed on the market by producers in 2024.

The final feeds will be confirmed by Defra in July 2025 once a full year of producer data has been submitted.

Illustrative base fees are calculated by dividing packaging waste management costs (for household packaging waste) and other relevant costs by the total amount of household packaging placed on the market.

Defra also released the first round of indicative payments for local authorities on 28 November last year.

Robbie Staniforth, innovation and policy director at Ecosurety, said: “We welcome the publication of the new illustrative fees. Our members, some of the largest retail and consumer goods businesses in the UK, have been crying out for certainty over fees for quite some time.

“Immense changes in the new packaging compliance system mean the data set used to set fees will remain incomplete until the middle of next year at the earliest. Therefore, releasing a more accurate version of the base fees shows brave and decisive action by Government. It also shows that they are listening to stakeholder feedback about the realities of operating a business. We look forward to helping producers revise their budget lines for these new costs.”

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