Packaging waste
The UK packaging waste regulations enforces the principle that the polluter pays. This means businesses that handle packaging have legal and financial responsibilities for the recovery and disposal of packaging was in the UK.
This page explains who is affected by these regulations, what actions are required, and how SEPA regulates compliance in Scotland. It also outlines how to report data, work with reprocessors and exporters, and where to find further guidance.
For a full overview the regulations and how to comply with them, see the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging, this guidance is referred to throughout this webpage.
Who the regulations apply to
The regulations apply to all companies with:
- An annual turnover of 1 million or more
- Import or supply more than 25 tonnes of packaging material to the UK market
- Carry out any of the packaging activities listed on the EPR for packaging guidance
Producer responsibilities
Producers of packaging waste are required to:
- Collect and report data on the packaging you supply or import
- Cover waste management, scheme administration, and environmental regulator fees as part of your compliance costs
- Get packaging waste recycling notes (PRNs) or packaging waste export recycling notes (PERNs) to meet your recycling obligations
- Report information about where in the UK packaging is supplied in and is discarded in, referred to as ‘nation data’
Check the size of your organisation
These responsibilities vary depending on the size of your organisation or business.
Large companies whose annual turnover exceeds £2 million and handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging a year must meet financial and reporting obligations under the regulations.
Small companies whose annual turnover is between £1 million and £2 million and handle between 25 and 50 tonnes must record and report their packaging data.
Recovering and recycling packaging waste
Most packaging producers are not able to physically reuse or recycle their own packaging waste and instead use reprocessor and exporter companies to recover and recycle waste packaging or export waste packaging.
If you are a reprocessor or exporter in Scotland, you must register with SEPA and can also apply for accreditation through the National Packaging Waste Database (NPWD) in order to issue PRNs or PERNs.
Producers who use these services must obtain PRNs or PERNs as evidence of compliance. Only accredited operators can issue them, and a public register is available to help you find one.
What to do next
If the regulations apply to you, you will need to register on the Report Packaging Data digital system.
Once registered you will then need to report on the amount and type of packaging that you have placed on the UK market, either directly or via a compliance scheme.
On the Report Packaging Data system, you will be able to:
- tell us your organisation details
- report packaging data
- tell us if you’re working with a compliance scheme
Nation of sale and self-managed waste reporting
To reduce the burden on producers and compliance schemes, SEPA has issued a temporary Regulatory Position Statement (RPS) (word 206kB). It confirms that no enforcement action will be taken for not reporting nation of sale and self-managed waste data for the 2024 and 2025 compliance periods.
This allows producers to focus on improving the quality of core data that affects financial obligations.
Our role in monitoring compliance
SEPA assess whether producers and compliance schemes are meeting their obligations, including data reporting, registration, and financial contributions. We use reported data to inform action, target non-compliance, and support national recycling targets.
Where serious or repeated non-compliance occurs, such as providing false or misleading information, we may take enforcement action in line with our regulatory strategy. This may result in prosecution under criminal law and/or civil penalties such as fixed monetary penalties (FMP) and enforcement undertaking (EU).
More information on FMP's and EU's, as well as other enforcement actions, is available on our Enforcement webpage.
The UK regulations for packaging waste
There are two UK-wide regulations that make businesses responsible for the packaging they place on the market:
- Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 which update the 2007 rules and aim to reduce packaging use and encourage recyclable materials.
- Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 1998 which require packaging to be minimised, recyclable, and free from certain hazardous substances.
Packaging waste is split into two categories:
- Household packaging waste – from homes, usually collected by local authorities.
- Non-household packaging waste – from businesses and managed by private waste companies
Both types use a simplified system of Packaging Waste Recovery Notes (PRNs) and Packaging Export Recovery Notes (PERNs), which producers must buy from accredited reprocessors or exporters to show compliance.
The definition of a “producer” has been narrowed to focus financial responsibility on a single point in the supply chain. You are a producer if you:
- Supply packaged goods under your own brand
- Place goods into packaging
- Import packaged products
- Operate an online marketplace
- Hire or loan reusable packaging
- Supply empty packaging
Producers must also pay a waste management fee to a Scheme Administrator. This fee, which supports local authority recycling services, will vary based on how easily the packaging can be recycled with lower fees being applied to more recyclable packaging.
Contact us
The Producer Responsibility team provide advise and guidance on any aspect of packaging waste regulations and work with producers to help them meet their responsibilities.