This has prompted urgent contact from PackUK and assurances that full refunds will be issued this week.
According to the administrator, 484 businesses – around 11% of all producers involved in the scheme – were affected by the issue, which saw some fees collected twice or even three times.
The problem is understood to relate solely to organisations that opted to pay by direct debit and completed their set-up before 24 November 2025.
Producers who paid using other methods, including bank transfer, credit card or standing order, have not been impacted.
A Defra spokesperson commented: “We are aware of a technical issue that has resulted in some direct debit payments under the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme being collected more than once by an external financial services supplier.
“We recognise the inconvenience this has caused. Our teams are working hard to resolve the issue and refund affected businesses as soon as possible.”
‘Tight legislative deadlines’
Defra has been contacting affected companies directly, including by phone, and said that it is prioritising support to help businesses manage the disruption.
All duplicate payments are expected to be refunded by close of play on Friday 5 December 2025, with no action required from producers to receive their money back.
Alex Hilton, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Beyondly, said: “PackUK have been working at breakneck pace to get the EPR system up and running to the tight legislative deadlines they have set, including taking payments.
“With all new digital systems there will be gremlins and it seems PackUK are not immune!
“I understand a percentage of producers with direct debits set up have seen multiple fees taken from their accounts and PackUK have been working hard to rectify the situation as fast as they can.
“Sadly, it’s another thing that pEPR and the four governments do not need, and further hinders the perceptions about the capability of government to transition the UK to a circular economy.”
Jon Brookes, Director of Partnerships at Ecosurety, added: “We’re aware of the EPR Direct Debit payment issue and understand that PackUK is actively working to rectify the issue promptly.
“We’re providing guidance to any of our members who are affected and appreciate the steps taken so far to communicate and resolve the situation.”
Payments from the scheme to local authorities have also been postponed, which were supposed to be going out this week.
pEPR producer invoices
The first Notices of Liability (NoL) to packaging producers under the pEPR scheme were issued on 21 October 2025.
The notices are based on 2024 packaging data reported by producers and cover the household waste disposal costs for April 2025 to March 2026.
The organisation has also highlighted the importance of payment security, warning producers to remain alert to potential fraud attempts.
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