poetnt Consultation on reforming the UK packaging producer responsibility system Summary of consultation responses and next steps July 2019 © Crown copyright 2019 This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ This publication is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at packaging@defra.gov.uk www.gov.uk/defra 2 Contents Executive summary and next steps ..................................................................................... 7 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 7 Summary of feedback on key proposals .......................................................................... 8 Further work and next steps ........................................................................................... 15 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 16 Scope of the consultation ............................................................................................... 16 Respondents .................................................................................................................. 17 Summary of responses ...................................................................................................... 20 Background to the reforms (Questions 6-9) ....................................................................... 20 Question 6: Principles proposed for packaging EPR ...................................................... 20 Question 7: Outcomes proposed for packaging EPR ..................................................... 22 Question 8: Items in scope of a packaging EPR system ................................................ 24 Question 9: Packaging classifications ............................................................................ 25 Part A: Section 1. Full net cost recovery (Questions 10-13) .............................................. 27 Question 10: Definition of full net cost recovery ............................................................. 27 Question 11: Costs of collecting and managing packaging waste (household) .............. 30 Question 12: Commercial and industrial packaging and full net cost recovery ............... 31 Question 13: Deposit return schemes and packaging EPR ............................................ 32 Part A: Section 2. Driving better design of packaging (Questions 14-17) .......................... 34 Question 14: Approved list of recyclable packaging ....................................................... 34 Questions 15 and 16: Modulated fees or payment of deposits ....................................... 36 Question 17: Deposit approach and closed loop recycling ............................................. 41 Part A: Section 3. Obligated producers (Questions 18-25) ................................................ 42 Question 18: Approach to single point of compliance .................................................... 42 3 Question 19: Single point of compliance and the de-minimus ........................................ 43 Question 20: Exemptions from packaging EPR ............................................................. 44 Questions 21 and 22: Shared responsibility and the de-minimus ................................... 44 Question 23: Shared responsibility or single point of compliance approach ................... 46 Question 24: Small business compliance ....................................................................... 48 Question 25: Online marketplace responsibility for e-commerce imports ....................... 49 Part A: Section 4. Supporting improved collections and infrastructure (Questions 26-36) . 51 Questions 26, 27, and 30: Managing household packaging waste ................................ 51 Questions 28 and 29: Businesses and household-like packaging waste ....................... 61 Question 31: Costs of cleaning up packaging litter ........................................................ 65 Questions 32 and 33: Improving management of on-the-go packaging waste ............... 66 Questions 34, 35, and 36: Single-use disposable cups .................................................. 68 Part A: Section 5. Helping consumers do the right thing – communications and labelling (Questions 37-44) .............................................................................................................. 75 Questions 37, 38, and 39: Funding communication campaigns ..................................... 75 Questions 40, 41, and 42: Labelling for recyclability and recycled content .................... 77 Question 43: Other proposals for labelling ..................................................................... 80 Question 44: Timescales for mandatory labelling ........................................................... 81 Part B: Section 6. Packaging waste recycling targets to 2030 (Questions 45-55) ............. 82 Questions 45, 46, and 47: Estimates of packaging waste entering the waste stream .... 82 Question 48: Packaging waste recycling targets for 2025 .............................................. 85 Question 49: Packaging waste recycling targets for 2030 .............................................. 87 Question 50: Achieving higher packaging recycling rates .............................................. 88 Question 51: Obtaining and managing nation specific data ........................................... 89 Question 52: Closed loop recycling targets .................................................................... 90 4 Question 53: Targets for different types of composite packaging ................................... 92 Questions 54 and 55: Interim targets and allocations for 2021 and 2022....................... 93 Part C: Section 7. Governance models (Questions 56-66) ................................................ 96 Questions 56 and 57: Governance model for packaging EPR ....................................... 96 Question 58: Feasibility of proposed governance models .............................................. 99 Question 59: UK-wide approach to governance ........................................................... 101 Question 60: Compliance fee mechanism .................................................................... 103 Question 61: Establishing a packaging advisory board (model 1) ................................ 105 Questions 62 and 63: Establishing a single management organisation (model 2) ....... 106 Questions 64 and 65: Separate scheme for household and commercial/industrial packaging (model 3) ..................................................................................................... 108 Question 66: Role of compliance schemes (model 4) .................................................. 110 Part C: Section 8. Responsible management of packaging waste domestically and globally (Questions 67-78) ............................................................................................................ 112 Question 67: Packaging waste exports ........................................................................ 112 Questions 68, 69, and 70: Measures to ensure environmentally responsible management of packaging waste exports .................................................................... 114 Part C: Section 9. A more transparent system (Questions 71-78) ................................... 117 Questions 71, 72, and 73: Reporting requirements of reprocessors and exporters ..... 117 Question 74: Improving transparent operating of the evidence market (model 4) ........ 119 Questions 75 and 76: Operating, reporting and approving compliance schemes ........ 120 Question 77: Single producer organisation transparency ............................................. 123 Question 78: Consumer information on packaging ...................................................... 125 Part C: Section 10. Compliance monitoring and enforcement (Questions 79-92) ............ 127 Questions 79, 80, and 81: Collecting accurate data ..................................................... 127 Questions 82 and 83: Reporting to regulators .............................................................. 129 5 Question 84: Other enforcement mechanisms to ensure producer compliance ........... 131 Question 86: Penalty charges ...................................................................................... 134 Question 87: Evidence of recycling .............................................................................. 135 Question 88: Additional enforcement powers for handling packaging waste ................ 137 Question 89: Amending enforcement powers for reprocessors and exporters ............. 138 Question 90: Packaging waste imports ........................................................................ 139 Question 91: Auditing of imported packaging waste .................................................... 139 Question 92: Preventing misclassification of imported packaging waste ...................... 140 Section 11. Estimated costs and benefits ........................................................................ 141 Questions 93 and 94: Costs and benefits of reforms ................................................... 141 Section 12. Further comments ........................................................................................