Defra reissue illustrative base fees
As indicated during the first release of the illustrative Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) waste management fees in August, Defra has released a second iteration of the expected costs using more accurate data now available from packaging reports submitted by registered producers.
When compared with the first estimations for Year 1 EPR costs, the cost per tonne has decreased for all materials and the ranges between the lowest and highest estimates have lessened, other than for wood.
This is because the reissued base fees have been updated using a more accurate methodology, using actual placed on market (POM) figures reported by producers in 2023 under the EPR data submission regulations, alongside Local Authority packaging waste management costs modelled by Defra.
However, Defra note that the POM figures could nonetheless be underestimated, as the data does not account for packaging reported after 9 September 2024 (when the figures were extrapolated), or obligated packaging that has not been reported by unregistered producers.
If this is the case, then increased accuracy of POM figures over the coming months may result in the estimated fees decreasing further as local authority costs are apportioned over a higher tonnage.
