Waste packaging and producer responsibility

The types of waste include waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE), waste packaging and waste batteries. These are important waste streams which need to be reduced due to their impact on the environment. The UK must meet its national targets for recovery and recycling of these wastes set under European Union (EU) Directives.

In UK law, these directives are carried out through regulations. There are regulations for WEEE, waste packaging and waste batteries.

Under these regulations ‘producers’ are businesses who make or sell products which end up becoming  waste when they are thrown away.

Find out what you need to do

Producers must register every year, either with the Environment Agency or through a compliance scheme. Producers and compliance schemes must obtain evidence that a set percentage of their contribution to this waste stream has been recovered or recycled. 

In the waste packaging section of our website you can find out what a producer of packaging is and what responsibilities they have under the law. It contains information on:

• How to register as a packaging producer
  If you are a packaging producer and fulfill the threshold tests then you need to register with us or a compliance scheme every year by 7 April. Find out how to register here.
  
• Packaging Compliance Schemes
  Find out what you need to do if you are a packaging compliance scheme.

• National Packaging Waste Database
  Find what the National Packaging Waste Database (NPWD) does and who can use it.

• How to apply for reprocessor or exporter accreditation
  Find out more about reprocessor or exporter accreditation and how to apply online.

What's new?

Keep up-to-date with the latest news on Producer Responsibility in our quarterly newsletter for customers and stakeholders, which you can download here:

• Producer Responsibility newsletter issue 3 (August 2009) (PDF, 270KB)
• Producer Responsibility newsletter issue 2 (September 2008) (PDF, 74KB)

How to contact us

If you need any further information on waste packaging and producer responsibility then please try one of the following:

Producer Responsibility Regulatory Service

The Producer Responsibility Regulatory Service (PRRS) is responsible for registering producers and compliance schemes. You can contact PRRS by email:

• PRRS

How to report a business which is not complying

Call 0800 023 2090 if you know of a producer who is not complying with their obligations to register or recover/recycle packaging waste.

NPWD support

If you have any problems using NPWD, call the support line: 08708 506 506.

General enquiries

Call our National Customer Contact Centre on 08708 506 506 for general information.

Public Register

Packaging public registers can be found on the NPWD:

• National Packaging Waste Database