PackUK launched as the new pEPR Scheme Administrator

The Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) scheme administrator was officially launched during last month’s Packaging Innovations event on 12 February 2025.

PackUK has been set up to lead and oversee pEPR across the UK and will involve implementing the pEPR programme, setting up pEPR fees, collecting these fees from obligated producers, and making payments to local authorities.

Dr. Margret Bates, OPRL’s Managing Director, is currently on secondment as the head of the UK pEPR Scheme Administrator at Defra since February 2024. She shared the importance and urgency of having an effective scheme.

“The launch of PackUK marks an exciting leap forward in delivering this. We remain committed to working closely across the four nations, producers, and stakeholders across the collection and packaging value chain. Together, we aim to deliver a fair and collaborative pEPR scheme that addresses the challenges of packaging waste and lays the foundation for a more sustainable and responsible approach to packaging.”

PackUK will not only oversee the scheme but will also be responsible for appointing an industry-led Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO). This organisation will handle the practical implementation of the new Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) guidelines.

The collection of pEPR fees is scheduled to begin in October 2025, with projections indicating that these fees will generate over £1 billion annually.

With an additional boost of investment into local recycling services, Defra have said that alongside Simpler Recycling in England and the Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers, the packaging reforms will stimulate ‘an estimated £10bn investment’ in recycling services across the UK over the next 10 years and support up to 21,000 new jobs.

PackUK will also be responsible for public communications and information campaigns to encourage consumers to dispose of packaging waste correctly, which is where OPRL ‘Recycle’ and ‘Do Not Recycle’ labels truly shine.

OPRL labels

Key dates for pEPR submissions

All businesses obligated to report data under the packaging EPR data reporting regulations should have submitted their January to June 2024 data by Tuesday 1 October 2024. If obligated packaging producers have not reported their data, they may face enforcement action.

If you are a large producer obligated to report data under packaging EPR data reporting regulations, and have all the data under the new rules, you should report it in two batches. For 2025 data, those two batches are:

Report your January 2025 to June 2025 data by 1 October 2025

Report your July 2025 to December 2025 data by the following 1 April 2026

If you are obligated as a small producer, you will be required to report your data under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, you should report it in one annual submission: