British Glass warns of the consequences of the current pEPR fee structure for glass packaging. Despite an announced reduction by the UK Department of the Environment, the association believes there is a risk that brands will switch to less recyclable materials.
The industry association British Glass has criticised the partial reduction in charges for glass packaging recently announced by DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) as part of the extended producer responsibility (pEPR). Although the organisation acknowledges the adjustment in principle, it does not see the measure as a sufficient step towards promoting truly recyclable materials such as glass.
„Imbalance between packaging materials“
According to Nick Kirk, Director of British Glass, the fundamental disadvantage of glass compared to other types of packaging remains despite the reduction in charges. Fees would continue to favour lighter but less recyclable packaging„The small reduction in base fees does little to alleviate the industry's concerns,“ says Kirk. „The fee structure encourages the use of materials that are lighter but less circular.“
The organisation refers to the first fee presentation from August 2024, which showed that although glass only accounts for around five percent of the collected packaging volume, it has to bear around a third of the total pEPR costs. This results in a significantly higher cost burden per unit for glass - estimated to be three to five times higher than for competing materials. At the same time, many beverage containers are temporarily exempt from the pEPR as they will be integrated into a deposit return scheme (DRS) by the end of 2027.
Real consequences for the industry feared
Kirk also emphasised that brands and retailers are increasingly being forced to switch packaging materials in order to reduce costs - and that this has already been proven to DEFRA with concrete data. Although future measures such as a modulation-based fee adjustment according to recyclability or reforms to the „Packaging Recovery Notes“ are planned, these would come too late or fall short, according to British Glass.
„The system favours lightweight packaging material and ignores recyclability,“ says Kirk. „Glass needs to be at the centre of a truly circular economy - but the current charging regime could slow down the UK glass industry before this goal is achieved.“
British Glass concluded by declaring its willingness to work with the government, for example on the introduction of a reuse system for glass packaging. However, the prerequisite for this is the preservation of a strong domestic glass industry.
Source: British Glass
