EPR consultation brings make-over for regulations By Dominique Barry, Strategic Account Manager, Valpak
The final consultation on extended producer responsibility is upon us and, with it, the greatest transformation that packaging legislation has undergone. Dominique Barry, Strategic Account Manager at Valpak, explains what it will mean for the beauty product packaging supply chain. he packaging industry is on the brink of epic change. While the detail of new policy is still uncertain, we do know that total costs of packaging compliance for industry are set to rise from circa £300m in 2019 to £2.7bn when EPR is fully adopted in 2024. The increase will be borne by brand owners and importers.. The impact will be exceptional. Where the first regulations focused on building the infrastructure and procedures to enable recycling, the new, updated EPR is likely to result in a whole system change that incorporates design, brands and retailers. The regulations will affect every type of packaging, from baked goods to shampoo. While individual beauty products are diminutive, their packaging is complex. A perfume bottle with a pump spray, for example, will comprise a number of materials. To provide an accurate compliance report, the perfume
bottle needs to be broken down into its constituent parts, with each weighed individually; under the new regime we are likely to extend reporting to cover polymer types and recyclability.
Why are the regulations changing?
The original Packaging Waste Regulations have achieved a high level of success, increasing UK packaging recycling to a rate of 70 percent. However, the challenges we face today call for a new approach. In 2018, the EU – including the UK – chose to adopt the latest Circular Economy Package. Driven by a commitment to introduce EPR to multiple waste streams, the package calls for retailers and brands to take more responsibility for their products’ packaging. Specifically, it introduces a requirement to cover the full net cost of recycling packaging at end of life. This includes the cost of collection, which has so far been funded by the tax-payer through local authorities.
What changes are on their way?
Until the consultation closes, and government publishes its decisions, the detail is uncertain, but we do have some clues as to the direction of future policy. Firstly, as the regulations become more ambitious, costs are set to increase by 15-30 percent. The overall aim of the new EPR regulation
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