Extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR): information for producers, reprocessors and exporters

Extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) places obligations on organisations in Wales that:

• supply or import packaging and packaged goods
• operate as a compliance scheme
• reprocess or export packaging waste for recycling

Natural Resources Wales is the regulator for these organisations in Wales.

Packaging producer

If your organisation supplies or imports packaging, you may be obligated as a packaging producer. Packaging producers have to register, report packaging data and pay towards the collection and recycling of packaging when it becomes waste.

Find out who is affected and what to do (GOV.UK).

Producer compliance schemes

Packaging compliance schemes are businesses that help packaging producers meet their obligations.

Find a list of all packaging compliance schemes (GOV.UK).

If you want to set up a compliance scheme in Wales e-mail packaging@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk.

Reprocessors and exporters of packaging waste

Organisation that recycle or export packaging waste need to register as a packaging reprocessor or exporter and report packaging waste data.

Organisations that want to issue packaging recovery notes (PRNs) need to apply for accreditation.

Find out what reprocessors and exporters of packaging waste need to do (GOV.UK).

Our compliance and monitoring

We monitor compliance of businesses in Wales that have responsibilities under pEPR in line with our published ‘How we regulate’ guidance, applying our:

• regulatory principles
• regulatory approach to deliver, and
• regulatory service standards: what you can expect from us.

Our regulatory approach focuses on delivering our purpose to ensure the sustainable management of natural resources and deliver well-being outcomes.

This means acting in a manner which seeks to ensure that the needs of the present are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

We follow the regulators code, and take an intelligence led and risk-based approach that focuses on businesses that we identify pose the biggest risks to the packaging regime and the environment.

We monitor businesses to make sure that:

• packaging producers in Wales contribute to UK recycling targets.
• all obligated producers register and provide accurate data, including recyclability assessments (RAM).
• reprocessors and exporters comply with their legal obligations, including registration, accurate reporting and fully meet their conditions of accreditation.
• waste packaging is recycled legally, and to the right standards.

We use a combination of desk and site-based inspections and audits to ensure businesses are complying, with a targeted selection of businesses visited throughout the year.

Our monitoring activities include:

• assessing performance and behaviour of businesses to identify potential non-compliance.
• assessing and determining applications for registration, accreditation and approval.
• investigating ‘free riders’ (unregistered obligated producers) and producer ‘drop offs’ (previously registered producers who do not re-register).
• validating and assessing submissions and investigating late or missing submissions.
• assessing, monitoring, and analysing packaging recycling notes issued by reprocessors and exporters, and purchasing by producers.
• assessing and determining certificate and statements of compliance.
• gathering intelligence and data trend analysis.
• risk profiling.

When we identify any non-compliance we follow our enforcement and sanctions policy to consider the appropriate action and how to support the business to come into compliance.

Any enforcement action we take will be proportionate to the risks posed to people and the environment. We will also consider the seriousness of the breach of the law and its impact on legitimate businesses.

Contact us

If you have any questions about pEPR, email: packaging@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk