On 30 September 2024, Defra published the second version of the illustrative base fees for the extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR). These updated fees, covering 2025 to 2026, show a reduction across all materials compared to the initial fees released in mid-August 2024. The fee ranges for most materials have also narrowed, with the exception of wood, which accounts for less than 1% of packaging on the market.
The updated illustrative base fees for 2025 to 2026 are as follows:
Defra explained that these fees reflect the costs for local authorities to manage household packaging waste and take into account various scenarios still under consideration. This second version of the fees is based on the latest data submitted by large organisations through the Report Packaging Data portal, improving on the estimated tonnages used in the first version.
The fees are calculated by dividing the costs of managing household packaging waste by the total amount of household packaging placed on the market. Large organisations were required to submit their initial data by 1 October 2023.
Defra will hold a webinar on 3 October 2024 to provide stakeholders with the opportunity to ask questions, share feedback, and engage further on the subject.
Concerns from packaging producers, particularly within the glass industry, have been prominent over the past month. Jacob Hayler, Executive Director of the Environmental Services Association (ESA), welcomed the clarity provided by the updated fees, stating that this will help producers prepare for the introduction of charges in 2025. The ESA had anticipated that some of the fees would be adjusted downward
You can view our previous EPR fee story here, "Defra releases initial pEPR packaging fees for Year 1 [15.08.2024]".
