Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007
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The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007,[1] which originally came into effect at the end of August 1997[2] in Great Britain and in 1999 in Northern Ireland,[3] was the first producer responsibility legislation in the UK.
The
Proportions
Companies must show that they have paid for their obligation for recovery and recycling of the packaging. This is achieved through the Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) System.
Under the Packaging Waste Regulations the so-called 'packaging chain' is divided into four activities, each with a different percentage responsibility:[4]
- raw material manufacturer: 6% - manufacturing of packaging raw material, e.g. manufacturer of steel for baked beans cans.
- converter: 9% - manufacturing of a recognised packaging item, e.g. manufacturer of the steel can for the baked beans.
- packer/filler: 37% - putting a product into packaging or applying packaging to a product, e.g. the company which fills the can with baked beans.
- seller: 48% - supplying the packaging to the end user of that packaging, e.g. the wholesalerwho sells boxed cans of beans would have the selling obligation on the boxes removed by the supermarket.
Companies who directly import packaging, packaged goods or
The PRN System
The legislation stipulates that companies who are obligated under the Regulations must prove they have paid for the requisite number of tonnes to be recovered each year. Reprocessors are licensed to issue a
A company falls under the legislation if it has a turnover of more than £2 million and handled more than 50 tonnes of packaging in the previous calendar year.[4]
PRNs are certificates issued by accredited reprocessors when packaging waste is recycled or recovered. These PRNs are put onto the open market to be purchased by obligated companies as evidence that they have met their calculated obligation. This can be done directly or through a "compliance scheme", of which there are several available.[5] A suitable compliance scheme must be registered.[6] The role of a compliance scheme is to support its members with registering with the relevant environmental regulator, provide evidence of compliance and submit an annual certificate of compliance on their behalf.[7]
See also
References
- ^ The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 (as originally made).
- ^ The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997.
- ^ The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999.
- ^ a b Mason, D., Packaging Waste Regulations quick guide (2023 update), GWP Group, updated 24 November 2022, accessed 26 January 2023
- ^ Letsrecycle.com, Compliance Schemes, accessed 2 March 2023
- ^ Environment Agency, Packaging waste: become a packaging producer compliance scheme (PCS), updated 12 September 2018, accessed 2 March 2023
- ^ Environment Agency, Packaging waste: producer responsibilities, updated 1 January 2023, accessed 2 March 2023