EPR Update: What’s Changing in 2025

We’re now halfway through 2025, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is already reshaping how UK businesses manage, report, and pay for the packaging they place on the market.

Whether you’re a retailer, manufacturer, importer or wholesaler, chances are your 2024 data has already been submitted and your first set of EPR fees is either calculated or on the way. If you’re still catching up, now’s the time to act to stay compliant and to reduce your future costs.

A Quick Recap: What Is EPR?

Extended Producer Responsibility is a UK-wide scheme that shifts the cost of collecting and managing packaging waste away from local councils and onto the businesses that produce that packaging in the first place.

Under the rules, packaging producers must:

• Collect and report data on the type and volume of packaging they handle
• Pay fees based on how recyclable their packaging is and how much they put on the market
• Take responsibility for packaging across its full lifecycle, from production to disposal

In practice, this means higher costs for businesses using hard-to-recycle materials and incentivises them to move towards more sustainable packaging solutions.

Where We Are Now in 2025

The EPR rollout began in 2023 with mandatory data collection. Although fees were initially expected to begin in 2024, they were deferred, giving businesses an extra year to prepare. In 2025:

• Large organisations (those with turnover over £2 million and handling more than 50 tonnes of packaging) are now paying EPR fees based on their 2024 data
• Small organisations (turnover over £1 million and handling more than 25 tonnes) had to submit their simplified data reports by 1 April 2025
• Packaging fees are being issued through compliance schemes and the Environment Agency, and businesses should now budget for these ongoing annual costs

Want a breakdown of what those fees look like? Read the EPR fees and thresholds for 2025–2026 for cost bands, exemptions and materials.

Who Does EPR Apply To?

There’s still some confusion around eligibility. The EPR scheme doesn’t just affect packaging manufacturers, it applies to any business that:

• Puts packaged goods on the UK market under its own brand
• Imports packaged products for resale or internal use
• Supplies empty packaging to third parties
• Operates online retail or direct-to-consumer fulfilment

This includes wholesalers, supermarkets, e-commerce businesses, and contract packers. Even smaller businesses can be captured by the rules if their packaging volumes are high enough.

What Happens If You Don’t Comply?

Regulatory enforcement is active, and businesses that fail to submit data or pay their fees on time could face:

• Fixed monetary penalties
• Enforcement undertakings
• Reputational damage
• Long-term cost inefficiencies from unoptimised packaging

Moreover, failing to align with EPR expectations may limit your ability to work with larger customers who demand evidence of sustainability across the supply chain.

Reduce Costs with Smarter Packaging

Many businesses are now using EPR as a reason to reassess their packaging strategies. Beyond compliance, there’s an opportunity to reduce material use, improve recyclability and cut long-term costs.

At Ribble Packaging, we’ve seen strong demand for Right Size packaging solutions, using Fanfold material and automation to produce perfectly sized boxes with no void fill and minimal waste. It not only supports EPR goals but also cuts storage, transport and materials costs.

Switching to recyclable mono-materials and redesigning multi-component packaging can also have a significant impact on your future EPR fees.

What You Should Do Next

Check your reporting obligations — are you a small or large organisation under EPR?

• Ensure your 2024 data has been submitted — and flag any inaccuracies before billing begins
• Track your 2025 data now — this is what your 2026 fees will be based on
• Review your packaging mix — can you remove complexity or reduce volume?
• Talk to us — we can help assess your packaging footprint and explore cost saving options

Don’t Let EPR Catch You Off Guard

EPR is here to stay. And while the regulations can seem like just another set of boxes to tick, they’re a clear sign of where the packaging industry is heading — towards greater accountability, efficiency and sustainability.

At Ribble Packaging, we’re not just helping businesses meet compliance. We’re helping them future-proof their operations and packaging strategies for the long term.

Need guidance on your EPR obligations? Want to explore cost-saving packaging options? Contact our team, we’re happy to help.