If your company is UK-based, has a revenue of more than £2 million, and produces, uses, or sells packaging products, you must register for the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste Regulations). Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs) ensure that your business pays a fair proportion of packaging recovery and recycling costs.
So What Are Packaging Waste Regulations?
The rules operate at the precept of shared duty. All organizations that produce or use packaging must make a contribution closer to the cost of recycling and recovery. The intention of the Packaging Waste Regulations is to restrict the amount of packaging that ends up in landfills.
Why Are Packaging Waste Regulations Significant?
The objective of the Regulations is to lessen the effect that packaging has on the surroundings by minimizing its weight and quantity, requiring that it may be reused, recycled, or recovered, introducing tolerances on the quantity of toxic heavy metals allowed, and minimizing dangerous substances.
What Are The Key Modifications In The 2023 Packaging Waste Regulations?
The cut-off date for registration is April. Therefore, it is critical to make certain your enterprise is compliant if the law necessitates it.
It is also noteworthy to mention that the government is introducing a brand new Extended Producer Responsibilities (EPR) scheme in 2023. This sparkling regulation pursuits to in addition enhance recycling by way of making packaging producers liable for family packaging recycling and recovery expenses. EPR reporting additionally demands an extra element concerning packaging information.
However, even if the Packaging Waste Regulations don’t affect you, it is nevertheless prudent to conduct an audit. Evaluating your packaging use can help you in decreasing the volume you use and your carbon footprint.
|
Date |
Regulation |
Details |
| February 28, 2023 | Packaging Waste (Data Reporting) (England) Regulations 2023 | It is made effective from February 28, 2023, for all the Producers in England to gather and report packaging data from March 2023
The purpose is to promote recyclability and minimize packaging waste. This is applicable to all businesses across the packaging supply chain, including traders, suppliers, and online marketplaces |
| November 30, 2022 | European Parliament’s Revision of Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive | Proposed revision of EU legislation on packaging and packaging waste- Expected to generate around €6.4 billion in 2023 |
| Future (2030-2035) | Packaging Waste Regulations (EU) | Manufacturers are to assume responsibility for recycling and recuperation of household packaging.
Every packaging should be capable of being “reused” by the year 2030. There must be large-scale recycling of packaging by the year 2035. Reprocessed materials are to be incorporated into fresh plastic packaging by the year 2030. Significant producers gather more comprehensive data, which encompasses the collection and dispatching of packaging waste for recycling. |
Who Is Accountable For Complying With The Packaging Waste Regulations?
If your business or organization produces or uses packaging, or sells packaged goods, you may be classified as an obligated custom packaging producer. Obligated packaging producers must adhere to rules that assist in:
- Decreasing the amount of packaging generated in the first place
- Reducing how much packaging waste is sent to landfills
- Increasing the amount of packaging waste that is recycled
What An Obligated Packaging Producer Is?
You are an ‘obligated’ packaging producer if you (or a group of companies you are part of) satisfy both of the following criteria. You:
- Handled 50 tonnes of packaging materials or packaging in the prior calendar year
- Have a turnover of more than £2 million a year (based on the last financial year’s accounts)
- If your business provides licenses to other businesses such as franchises or pub leases, any packaging they handle may contribute towards the 50 tonne threshold for your business.
Monetary Penalties For Non-Compliance Packaging Waste Regulations
Non-compliant producers can be fined up to £25,000 (€28,934). Criminal prosecutions are feasible for the most severe offenses. In 2018, Angel Springs Holdings Limited were fined £24,329 (€28,157) for failing to register for packaging and failing to take reasonable steps to recover and recycle packaging waste.
Enforcement Action For Non-Compliance Packaging Waste Regulations
The Environment Agency can take enforcement action against businesses that ignore the regulations. First notice will be issued followed by strict legal action or even suspending or revoking the business’s environmental permit.
The 2023 Packaging Waste Regulations represent a crucial stride in reducing the amount of packaging waste that is generated in England. By complying with the regulations, businesses can help safeguard the environment and diminish their environmental impact.
If you require assistance with complying with the packaging waste regulations, there are numerous resources available. The Environment Agency has a website with information on the regulations, and there are also various private firms that can offer help and guidance.
