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PackUK issues fraud warning to producers

PackUK has issued a warning over fraudulent invoices being sent to producers by email.

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The Notices of Liability (NoL) were first sent to obligated producers last month with details of the fees they will need to pay under Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR).

However, the scheme administrator has said that it is aware that some producers have received fraudulent NoLs which claim it is issuing “recalculated” notices.

PackUK confirmed that it is not currently issuing recalculations at this stage of the EPR process and that any legitimate recalculations will result in a new notice being issued.

The scheme administrator advised producers not to click on links in unsolicited emails and to instead go directly to their official Report Packaging Data (RPD) accounts to view and pay their invoices.

It added that it will never send producers a payment link via email and warned that scammers may also attempt to make contact via telephone or letter.

What should I do if I think I have been a victim of fraud?

Any producer that wishes to check the validity of any communications or believes they may have been scammed should reach out to the EPR support desk by emailing eprcustomerservice@defra.gov.uk.

The above email address can also be contacted in cases of attempted fraud.

PackUK cautioned that the industry should be particularly cautious during period of peak activity, for example when notices are being issued.

pEPR payments

The NOLs are based on 2024 packaging data reported by producers and cover the household waste disposal costs for April 2025 to March 2026 under pEPR.

From 2026 onwards, EPR fees will vary depending on recyclability, as determined by PackUK’s Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM).

Under PackUK’s enforcement terms for the pEPR scheme, producers that miss payment deadlines could face a variable monetary penalty, calculated as the greater of:

  • 20% of unpaid fees
  • 5% of your UK turnover if registered as single organisation or 2% of your UK group turnover if registered as a group

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