Written question asked by Lord Hunt of Wirral (Conservative) on Monday, 18 May 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 2 June 2026. It was answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour) on Monday, 1 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Packaging: Recycling

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to postpone the introduction of modulated fees under Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging until measurable improvements have been delivered in local authority packaging collection and recycling systems.

Answer: As required under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, from 2026/27 onwards, The Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) fees will be modulated to ensure that packaging materials that are less recyclable incur higher fees, and packaging materials which are more recyclable incur lower fees. The fee modulation policy will be reviewed every 3 years. PackUK, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme administrator, is working closely with local authorities to ensure the efficient and effective management of household packaging waste.

Secondary information