Small businesses are being urged to ensure that they register and
report their packaging data under new rules governing packaging
waste.
For the first time companies in Northern Ireland that have an
annual turnover of more than £1million and are responsible for
over 25 tonnes of packaging each year need to record and report
their packaging data under the Extended Producer Responsibility
(EPR) scheme.
EPR for packaging is a UK-wide reform of an existing Producer
Responsibility scheme for packaging. Among its core aims are
increasing recycling rates of packaging, reducing waste and
non-recyclable material being placed on the market and shifting
the costs of managing household and street-binned packaging waste
to producers of packaging.
The cut-off date for submitting the necessary 2024 data was 01
April 2025 and NIEA wants to ensure that all organisations that
fall into the smaller producer category are aware of their new
statutory obligations.
A NIEA spokesperson said: “Over 100 companies have contacted us
to discuss their new responsibilities under the EPR regulations.
“Some producers may think they're not impacted by the new rules
as they operate on a smaller scale compared to the well-known
larger producers. We want to make sure that all organisations
impacted by the scheme are brought on board rather than incurring
a potential penalty for non-compliance.”
The new EPR scheme also marks significant changes for larger
organisations in Northern Ireland which are now obliged to report
recorded data every six months and will for the first time be
liable for the full cost of managing packaging waste including
costs associated with the collection, sorting, and treatment of
household waste.
Businesses which now have to pay disposal costs under the scheme
are reminded to do so from 01 October 2025.
The NIEA spokesperson added: “In future, the level of fees paid
will depend on how recyclable the packaging is, meaning more
sustainable packaging will result in lower costs.”
Notes to editors:
- The EPR packaging reform scheme from the UK government's
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) came
into effect on 01 January 2025.
- For registration guidance please visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/extended-producer-responsibility-for-packaging-who-is-affected-and-what-to-do
