British Glass has welcomed UK government plans to change packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) fees, including an exemption for certain glass packaging supplied directly to licensed hospitality venues.
The proposed package also includes an update to the material value assigned to glass packaging and plans to introduce higher modulation factors for less recyclable packaging materials from the third year of pEPR. The government is also due to issue calls for evidence on fee modulation and reuse, according to the industry body.
British Glass said glass had carried a disproportionate share of pEPR costs because fees are calculated by weight rather than by the number of packaging units placed on the market. It argued that this had increased pressure on UK glass manufacturers from food and drink companies that buy packaging by unit rather than by weight, prompting switches from glass to lighter packaging materials.
Industry response
Nick Kirk, executive director of British Glass, said the government had listened and recognised the importance of maintaining a strong domestic glass industry. He said the proposed changes began to address some unintended consequences of pEPR and better recognised glass's environmental benefits.
Kirk pointed to the planned update to glass material value, the proposed acceleration of modulation factors and a commitment to review future fee structures as steps toward a fairer system. He also said it was important to understand the full impact of the proposed hospitality exemption, while describing government recognition of hospitality businesses' challenges and efforts to avoid unnecessary costs as encouraging. British Glass particularly welcomed the forthcoming calls for evidence on modulation and reuse.
Timing and cost pressures
The reforms will not take effect until the third year of the scheme, covering April 2027 to March 2028. British Glass said glass manufacturers continued to face pressure from high energy costs, international competition and uncertainty over future packaging policy.
Kirk said the changes must be the start rather than the end of the process, adding that glass manufacturers were making decisions on investment, production and jobs now.
Political backing
Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said the government had shown it meant business in tackling harmful packaging materials and protecting UK glass manufacturing.
The measures are planned rather than in force. British Glass said the full impact of the proposed exemption still needed to be understood, even as it welcomed the government's recognition of hospitality businesses' cost challenges. The timetable means the changes would apply only after the initial years of the scheme.