Questions raised over Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility
UK's Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA) questions scheme's completeness, while Polytag proposes a 'Green Plus' option.
The FPA has questions for Defra, PackUK and the Environment Agency on the Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) framework, and has raised the matter with Chris Bloore MP, chair of the APPG Group for the Packaging Manufacturing Industry.
Executive Chair Mike Revell says the FPA supports the objectives of pEPR but that if the full obligated producer population is not consistently captured within the scheme, costs risk concentrating on those who report correctly. 'In practice, that creates structural discrimination against compliant businesses and undermines confidence in the system.
This is after PackUK admits a funding shortfall in Year 1 after revised tonnage submissions. The government says it will close this gap on a one-off basis, and disposal fees will remain as they were set out in producers' Notices of Liability.
But the FPA says the scenario 'reinforces the importance of participation completeness and forward revenue resilience in future years'.
Meanwhile, a whitepaper presented by Polytag notes that advances in digital detection, traceability, AI-enabled sorting and real-time reporting can link producer responsibility to measurable recycling outcomes.
The report, EPR that Works: Incentivising Real Recycling with Data and Innovation, proposes a 'Green Plus' option to sit alongside the modulation framework by rewarding producers who demonstrate proven improvements in recyclability, recovery, transparency and circular design.
Its call to action is for policymakers, producers and compliance partners to:
- Advocate for a 'Green Plus' benefit within EPR frameworks.
- Support the adoption of open, interoperable data systems across recycling infrastructure.
- Align policy incentives with verifiable, measurable performance.
- Build consumer trust through transparency and accountability.
