Written question asked by Sarah Owen (Labour) on Thursday, 14 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 20 May 2026 (named day). It was answered by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Wednesday, 20 May 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Packaging

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the use of multi-material, non-recyclable flexible packaging and plastic sachets.

Answer

The Government has introduced the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) scheme which charges fees to businesses that produce and/or supply household packaging. This incentivises packaging producers to reduce their material footprint and use easier to recycle packaging.

From 2026 onwards, pEPR fees will be higher for packaging that is not recyclable or is hard to recycle, including multi-material, non-recyclable flexible packaging and plastic sachets. Fees will be lower for packaging that can be easily recycled. Illustrative fees for 2026/27, published in December 2025, estimate that 45% of plastic packaging eligible for pEPR disposal fees will attract a ‘red’ rating and will therefore incur higher fees.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 1333
Session: 2026-27
Subjects: Packaging
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Packaging

Secondary information

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