After a comprehensive recruitment period, Defra have appointed all members of an interim steering group who will advise the evolving packaging EPR Scheme Administrator (SA) through the lens of industry experience.
The group ‘bring[s] together representatives of the value chain directly affected by the scheme, enabling their voices within the operational design’ and the system’s function and direction of travel.
The group will convene until the end of 2024, at which point it is hoped that the SA will be fully established. The purpose behind the steering group is to ensure the views of the entire value chain are accounted for as EPR develops, resulting in a system that works across industry.
Who is part of the interim steering group?
The appointments include Ecosurety’s Innovation and Policy Director, Robbie Staniforth, who says, "I look forward to playing my part in shaping the scheme administrator and can't wait to get started. It will carry out some key functions of the new EPR system and is a vital piece of the jigsaw that has been missing in recent years." "I'm flattered to be in such formidable company on the steering group. I hope we can help to provide a clear horizon for packaging producers, collectors and recyclers in the coming months. The changes to the system and costs are significant. The sooner all stakeholders have enough information to plan for them, the better."
The rest of the membership is as follows:
Independent Chair: Sebastian Munden
Head of the Scheme Administrator: Dr Margaret Bates.
Four Nation Government Officials: Rhodri Asby (Welsh Government), Angela Murphy (Defra), Janice Harris (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland - DAERA), David McPhee (Scottish Government)
Local Authority representation (Local Government Associations): Silke Isbrand (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities – COSLA), Craig Mitchell (Welsh Local Government Association – WLGA), Eamon Lally (Local Government Association – LGA), Karen Smyth (Northern Ireland Local Government Association – NILGA)
Businesses/Producers: Luke Emery (Aldi), Karen Graley (Marks and Spencer), Sokhna Gueye (Nestle), Luiz Brandão (Budweiser), Jim Bligh (Food and Drink Federation – FDF), Andrew Tighe (British Beer and Pub Association), Paul Vanston (Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment – Incpen), Talia Goldman (Colpac), Ian Percival (British Retail Consortium – BRC), Irasema Hernandez Elvira (Roche), Catherine Marsdon (Booker), Robbie Staniforth (Ecosurety)
Waste Management Organisation: Corinna Reynolds (Veolia)
Environmental non-governmental organisations – NGOs (job share): Paula Chin (World Wide Fund for Nature – WWF) and Libby Peake (Green Alliance)
Defra’s full announcement can be read here.
If you're an Ecosurety member and would like to find out more about how you are impacted by EPR, visit our Ecosurety Hub knowledge articles for more information.
