pEPR Scheme Administrator officially launches

On 21st January 2025, the four governments of the UK have officially launched the packaging EPR (pEPR) Scheme Administrator, called PackUK.

This follows the main pEPR Regulations being made into law in December 2024, which contain the provisions that enable the appointment of a pEPR Scheme Administrator. 

This is a major milestone in the reform of the packaging regulations, as the Scheme Administrator is a fundamental part of the UK pEPR system. We congratulate the Defra team, the Scheme Administrator team, and the industry-led Scheme Administrator Steering Group which was appointed in February 2024, who have led the establishment and mobilisation of PackUK.

Functions that PackUK will carry out

As the Scheme Administrator, PackUK will collect the new disposal fees direct from packaging producers, rather than this transaction occurring between producers and their compliance scheme, as we have for PRN fees and procurement. PRN fees will continue to be paid to a producer’s compliance scheme, such as Beyondly, if registered with one. Beyondly will inform our members when we have further information to share on how the disposal fee payment to PackUK will work.

Following the collection of this money, PackUK will calculate the division and deliver these funds to UK local authorities, to pay for delivery of efficient and effective collections and management of household packaging and packaging that commonly ends up in public bins. PackUK will also deliver public communications and information campaigns that encourage citizens to dispose of and recycle their packaging correctly.

Amongst these duties, PackUK will continue to engage with packaging producers to explore their role in the delivery of the pEPR scheme, including the potential appointment of a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) to carry out functions on behalf of producers, like is established in various European countries for their packaging compliance systems.

Marking the launch of PackUK

PackUK will be marking its launch at the Packaging Innovations conference on the 12th & 13th of February 2025 in Birmingham, with two talks across the two days dedicated to the Scheme Administrator launch, offering stakeholders the opportunity to engage with the PackUK team. 

Beyondly will be in attendance and exhibiting at Packaging Innovations!

You can visit us at stand C74 to have a chat with our friendly team. We’d love to see you there! 

Access the PackUK website here.

Read the press release on the PackUK launch in Defra’s Resource and Waste Newsletter here.

Key takeaways:
  • A major milestone in the pEPR reform has been delivered in January 2025, the official launch of the Scheme Administrator as PackUK.
  • For producers, PackUK is the organisation which they will make payment of their disposal fees to. Rather than via their compliance scheme, like we have for PRN fees. PRN fees will continue to be paid to a producer’s compliance scheme, such as Beyondly, if registered with one. PackUK will then deliver these funds to local authorities to pay them for their packaging collection and management services.
  • PackUK will mark its official launch at Packaging Innovations conference in February 2025, which Beyondly will be in attendance and exhibiting at. If you are attending, please stop by our stand and chat to our team!