The EPR (Extended producer responsibility) scheme aims to hold those placing packaging on the market accountable for the entire life-cycle of their products, ensuring that considerations around disposal and recycling are implemented into product design. The newly introduced base fees, calculated based on the weight of packaging materials, place a disproportionate burden on the glass industry compared to other materials. These fees are much higher than expected, and British Glass fear implementation without revision could lead to significant job losses within the glass industry due to material switching.
Dr. Nick Kirk, Technical Director at British Glass, responded to the release of the base fees: “British Glass will always support sustainable practices and the principles behind the EPR scheme. However, the weight-based fee structure fails to recognise the unique attributes and benefits of glass as a packaging material. Glass is 100 percent recyclable, can be recycled an infinite number of times without loss of quality, and has a low environmental impact in terms of chemical leaching due to its inert nature. We welcome the decision to adopt higher fees for lighter packaging materials, however, we urge Defra (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) to go further by adopting a units-based approach to avoid jeopardising the glass industry; EPR in this current form is not a material-neutral policy.”
The introduced EPR base fees also unfairly impact glass when compared to other packaging materials such as plastic and aluminium. These materials are due to be part of the incoming DRS in October 2027 but will not be subject to EPR fees in the meantime, meaning they benefit from an additional 2 years without waste policy costs which will further incentivise material switching. British Glass therefore calls on the government to delay the introduction of EPR to keep in line with the introduction of DRS as originally intended, as this will restore some cost parity between glass and other beverage packaging materials.
British Glass remains committed to collaborating with the government, environmental groups and industry partners to ensure the EPR scheme achieves its objectives without unfairly disadvantaging any sector.