FAQ’s

Company Subtype

Companies can register as a group of companies or single company. For group registrations we will need to register the top or Holding Company and then one or more subsidiaries. EPR requires data submissions from each subsidiary.

Tonnage Handled

Tonnage band of packaging handled in the previous year, either over 50 tonnes or between 25 tonnes and 50 tonnes.

Supplied Under your own brand: This includes any packaged goods that you supplied under your own brand. A brand includes any of the following:

• a name
• a trademark
• any distinguishing mark

This applies to all packaging that contains goods, where one or more of the pieces of packaging display your brand.

Pack/fill unbranded packaging: If you place goods into packaging, and that packaging is unbranded when it is supplied, you should report it in this category. This could be for goods you packaged for your own organisation or for another organisation.

Import filled packaging: This includes packaging around goods that you have imported and gone on to supply or discard in the UK. If you import goods into the UK, the packaging you must report is:

• secondary and tertiary packaging that does not fall under the ‘supplied under your brand’ packaging activity
• any packaging that’s unbranded when it’s imported
• any packaging you import and sell to an organisation that is not classed as a large organisation under EPR for packaging
• any packaging you import into the UK and discard without selling or exporting

You will not be responsible for packaging around filled goods that you’ve imported if they are:

• branded, and you’ve imported them on behalf of a brand owner that is established in the UK
• unbranded, and you go on to supply them to a large organisation that applies its brand to them before supplying them on

Supply unfilled packaging you have made or imported (Distributor): If you make packaging, or import unfilled packaging to supply to others, you have producer obligations on the packaging you supply to companies that are NOT large producers.

Hire or loan out packaging to others: If you hire or loan out reusable packaging (e.g. pallets or reusable packaging systems), you should report that packaging in this category. You only need to report this packaging the first time it’s supplied.

Own an online marketplace: Under EPR for packaging, you’re classed as owning an online marketplace if you operate a website or app that allows non-UK businesses to sell their goods into the UK.

If you own an online marketplace, you should report any filled or unfilled packaging supplied by non-UK businesses through the marketplace in this category. You should only report packaging supplied in the UK.

If your organisation owns a website that supplies goods from UK organisations only, this is not classed as an online marketplace.

Non Household: Non Household packaging is packaging that is supplied to a business end user and does not end up in the household waste stream. All Secondary and Tertiary packaging is classed as Non Household. Primary and Shipment packaging that is supplied directly to an end user should be classed as Non Household.

Household: All Primary and Shipment packaging shall be assumed to be Household Packaging unless it is supplied directly to a business end user.

Commonly littered packaging: You must report if you supply items that are commonly discarded in public bins. The list of items is:

• packaging provided to consumers with take-away food or drink, including wraps, boxes, cups, cup-holders, bags, paper and straws
• packaging on confectionery, where the confectionery weighs less than 230g, including chewing gum packaging and chocolate wrappers
• packaging on cigarettes, cigars, tobacco and e-cigarettes
• crisp packets or packaging on other savoury snacks, where the crisps or snacks weigh less than 60g
• packaging on single portions of food which can be consumed immediately without further preparation, including sausage rolls, sushi, sandwiches, biscuits and individual cakes
• cartons holding 850ml or less of drink, whose contents can be consumed immediately without dilution
• pouches containing less than 600ml of drink, whose contents can be consumed immediately without dilution

Drinks Containers: You must submit the weight of packaging that’s classed as single-use drinks containers as well as the amount (in units) of drinks containers supplied.

This includes bottles or cans for drinks. They should be made of any of the following materials:

• polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic
• glass
• steel
• aluminium

Drinks containers should hold 50ml to 3l of liquid. This includes containers that are 50ml to 3l and supplied in multipacks.

You must split your drinks containers data into 2 categories:

• household drinks containers
• non-household drinks containers

Refer to the ‘household and non-household packaging’ section to understand how to do this.

Most drinks containers will fall into the ‘household drinks containers’ category. This is because they will be made of primary packaging. If you believe you supply non-household drinks containers, you will need to provide evidence that this is the case.

Reusable packaging: You only need to report reusable packaging (such as pallets) the first time it’s supplied. You will need to split it into 2 categories:

• reusable packaging that is primary packaging
• reusable packaging that is non-primary packaging

As well as reporting it in this separate category, you should also make sure any reusable packaging is included in the household and non-household packaging that you report.

Primary: Primary packaging is what’s used to contain a single ‘sales unit’ to sell to customers. For a sales unit that’s made up of lots of items, such as a multipack, the primary packaging includes all of the packaging on the items. Primary packaging is Household by default, and Non Household if supplied directly to a business end user.

Shipment: Shipment packaging is for shipping single or multiple sales units directly to consumers. This includes postal packaging, cardboard boxes, bubble wrap and mail bags. Shipment packaging is Household by default, and Non Household if supplied directly to a business end user.

Secondary: Secondary packaging is for grouping several ‘sales units’ for selling or shipping purposes. Organisations may also use secondary packaging to display goods in shops. E.g. tray of tinned peas, carton of 24 bottles. All secondary packaging is Non Household.

Tertiary: Tertiary or transit packaging is used to group secondary packaging units together to protect them while being transported or handled through the supply chain. E.g. pallets, wrap, corner protectors, etc. All tertiary packaging is Non Household.

After you’ve categorised your data into the relevant packaging activities, you must report the weight of the individual materials. The packaging material weight should be given in kilograms (kg).

‘Other’ includes any materials you use that are not listed here. For example, other materials could include:

• bamboo
• ceramic
• copper
• cork
• hemp
• rubber
• silicone

Composite and multi-material packaging

• Composite packaging is made of:
• 2 or more layers of different materials
• materials that cannot be separated by hand

For this sort of packaging, you should report the full weight of the packaging and should report it as the main material (the material that weighs the most).

For example, a crisp packet contains plastic and foil. The main material is plastic, so you should report this as plastic.

You should class a material as ‘fibre-based composite’ if both of the following are true:

• the main material is paperboard or paper fibres
• the material is laminated with plastic
• It may also have layers of other materials.

Self-Managed Consumer Waste. If you collect consumer waste via a system you have set up you may be able to use the evidence to offset your Household Waste charge. The packaging waste must be Household Waste, and it must be packaging waste that is NOT commonly collected by Local Authorities. You will need to tell us about the system and the type of waste you collect.

A list of packaging waste materials commonly collected by Local Authorities can be found here: https://npwd.environment-agency.gov.uk/FileDownload.ashx?FileId=06484ed5-6804-48ef-b82e-b4e00dbb4ae6

Self-Managed Organisation Waste. You are required to report on the weight of packaging waste that you collect in your waste stream and send for recycling.

This includes:

• unbranded packaging waste
• other brands’ packaging waste
• your own branded packaging waste
• packaging waste you’ve received from another organisation for ‘backhauling’
• packaging waste you’ve recovered from consumers that is commonly collected by local authorities

You must report on the nation of the UK that it was collected in and the it was recycled in.

Packaging placed on the market

On this page there is a tab for each activity you have selected. Please enter the weight of packaging that you supplied during the 6 month period for the relevant activity.

• Report in kgs
• Remember to complete a tab for each category that you have selected

Report here the packaging waste that you collect and send for recycling. You need to report if you transfer the packaging waste from one nation of the UK to another.

Packaging waste that you need to report includes:

• unbranded packaging waste
• your own branded packaging waste
• other brands’ packaging waste
• packaging waste you’ve received from another organisation for ‘backhauling’
• packaging waste you’ve recovered from consumers that is commonly collected by
• local authorities

For example, you may remove tertiary or secondary packaging from products before displaying them to customers. After removing this packaging, you arrange for it to be collected from your site by a private contractor and sent for recycling. In this instance, you should collect this data and record it in this category.