By Tim Adler on Small Business UK – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
UPDATE: The date for Extended Producer Responsibility is coming up for larger firms, but it might be time for you to get preparations in place as a small business, too.
Big businesses will be financially responsible for recycling their packaging from October 1, 2025. As a small business, you may well have registration and reporting responsibilities, too – read on to find out more.
What is Extended Producer Responsibility?
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is UK legislation that will replace current packaging waste regulations with a phased implementation. The plan is for full implementation by 2027.
It is an environmental policy that requires producers to pay the full costs of dealing with the waste they produce from when it is placed onto the market, through to the end of its life.
The idea behind Extended Producer Responsibility is to reduce the environmental impact of packaging. Under EPR proposals, packaging producers will be responsible for the entire cost of recycling packaging, including the cost of collection, treatment, and recycling.
Research has shown that implementing Extended Producer Responsibility increased the percentage of paper and packaging being recycled to over 75 per cent