UK delays plastic packaging tax scheme

The UK government announced new rules to ensure producers pay for the cost of recycling their packaging will be deferred for a year from October 2024 to 2025.

The new policy, known as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), will see the full cost of managing household waste shift to producers, including pet food businesses. 

UK officials want to achieve a more circular economy for packaging where greater quantities of recyclable waste are reprocessed into valuable, high-quality secondary resources. 

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) highlights that the decision has been taken with inputs from devolved administrations, local authorities and waste management companies. The year extension is expected to provide time to discuss the scheme’s design and reduce the cost of implementation where possible.

How it works

The EPR scheme applies a tax on plastic packaging that fails to feature a minimum of 30% recycled content. Recycled plastic is also audited under regulations established by food safety standards.

Producers must register for the tax if they expect to import or manufacture 10 tons or more of finished plastic packaging components annually.

This legislation closely follows plastic packaging taxes in Spain and Italy, which went into force on 1 January 2023.

Data collection 

While there is a delay in fee collection, UK Pet Food reminds its members that the EPR data collection requirements remain the same, and producers still need to submit their data as planned.

“Through EPR, we will see the full cost of managing household waste shift to producers, including pet food businesses, in the hope of delivering a more circular economy for packaging where greater quantities of recyclable waste are reprocessed into valuable, high-quality secondary resources,” says Deputy CEO Nicole Paley.

According to Paley, EPR should boost the poor recycling rates in the UK. British authorities have already noted a reduction in plastic packing in anticipation of the upcoming scheme.

Pet food businesses have been making progress toward reducing and optimizing the use of packaging materials, finding sustainable alternatives to non-recyclable plastic, and increasing the use of recycled content. 

This includes Butcher’s, Judge’s Choice Petfood Ltd and Wilsons Pet Food relaunching their product ranges featuring recyclable packaging and efforts toward reducing their carbon footprints and sustainable energy generation.