Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reporting materials by weight in the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on incentives for producers to use (a) soft plastics and (b) other lighter but less recyclable materials over (i) paper, (ii) glass and (iii) other more sustainable but heavier alternatives.
Defra and PackUK have engaged extensively with waste management experts and the packaging industry across all materials, to ensure that the modelling of local authority costs underpinning the pEPR scheme fairly reflects the on-the-ground reality of waste management operations. As a result, even though packaging weight is generally a key driver of waste management costs in the model, estimated packaging volume, rather than packaging weight, is used to calculate kerbside dry recycling collections costs, to best reflect practical limitations with waste collection systems. This is especially important for heavier materials, which would otherwise incur higher base fees under a modelling of costs solely based on weight. The introduction of base fees from 2025 is designed to incentivise a reduction in the weight of packaging placed on the market in the UK. Defra and PackUK also engaged extensively across the waste and packaging sectors to agree modulation rates that will be introduce from 2026 to incentivise the use of most recyclable materials by reducing their fees when compared to unrecyclable alternatives. PackUK will continue monitor the impact of these financial incentives, to ensure they deliver the intended outcomes.