Consistency in Household and Business Recycling

The link to the consultation and supporting information is: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/consistency-in-household-and-business-recycling/ .  The deadline for responding is 23:59 on 4th July 2021

Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging, which is a follow-up consultation to a previous one and with an earlier closing date of 23:59 on 4th June 2021.  This second consultation focuses on specific policy proposals for its introduction, including the scope of full net costs, producer obligations, scheme governance, regulation of the scheme, and packaging waste recycling targets.

Any business who uses packaging to protect their products will be affected.

The link to the consultation is https://consult.defra.gov.uk/extended-producer-responsibility/extended-producer-responsibility-for-packaging/ and again there is supporting information alongside the consultation itself.

Finally, initial guidance to help businesses prepare for the new Plastic Packaging Tax is now available on GOV.UK.:

Get ready for the Plastic Packaging Tax provides a high-level overview of the tax and is designed to help manufacturers and importers of plastic packaging understand:

• If they will need to register for the tax
• What records they will need to keep
• What steps they will need to take to begin preparing for the introduction of the tax in April 2022.

Further information about the Plastic Packaging Tax contains additional detail around key definitions, registration, record-keeping, exemptions and reliefs.

You should read the above linked guidance if your business:

• manufactures or imports plastic packaging, including packaging made of bio-based plastics and plastic packaging around imported goods, such as plastic bottles full of drinks;
• buys plastic packaging (or goods that are supplied in plastic packaging);
• expect your plastic packaging to already contain 30% or more recycled plastic, or be exempt from the tax;
• exports plastic packaging or goods in plastic packaging from the UK.

More detailed guidance will be published later this year in advance of the introduction of the tax in April 2022.