
The Environment Agency (EA) has announced a delay in the implementation of national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reporting requirements for packaging waste data. In a newly published Regulatory Position Statement (RPS), the EA confirms that businesses will not be required to collect and report data for 2024 and 2025 until 2026.
Under the EPR for Packaging (pEPR) scheme, producers were legally obligated to report 2024 data and collect and report 2025 data. While these legal requirements remain in place, the EA has stated it will not typically enforce compliance with these specific data collection and reporting obligations during this period. This move provides businesses with additional time to prepare for full implementation.
It is important to note that the RPS applies only to the national sale and self-managed organisational waste data collection and reporting requirements under the pEPR scheme. Other legal obligations under the Packaging Waste (Data Reporting) (England) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/219) and the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024/1332) remain unaffected.
The RPS is set to remain in effect until 31 December 2026, unless amended or withdrawn earlier. Businesses should continue to monitor updates from the EA and ensure they remain compliant with all other regulatory requirements related to packaging waste.
For further details, members are encouraged to review the full RPS document on the Environment Agency’s website.