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With the UK’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation just around the corner, brands face crucial decisions about their packaging strategies. Some are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach to figure out how EPR will interact with the market, while many forward-thinking businesses are already seizing the initiative to get ahead of the curve.
Extended Producer Responsibility is a component of the broader Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), a multinational initiative aimed at reducing packaging waste and promoting circular economy practices. The PPWR seeks to harmonise and align packaging rules across European Union (EU) member states, streamlining processes for businesses and advancing sustainable packaging standards. As a result, it’s likely to impact UK-based businesses that export goods or services to the EU.
Extended Producer Responsibility is designed to shift the financial and environmental burden of packaging waste management—including costs for collection, sorting, and recycling—back onto the producer. While there’s been a lot of discussion about how we define packaging and identify producers, the broad-strokes definition will likely entail both brand owners and packaging suppliers. By holding them accountable for the entire lifecycle of their packaging, EPR aims to drive more sustainable design choices and reduce waste, aligning industry practices with global sustainability goals.
Mark your diaries – EPR reporting begins October 2025.
With fees now set to begin in October 2025 based on 2024 packaging data, the window for brands to optimise their packaging strategies is narrowing. While EPR’s implementation timeline has evolved, its core purpose of shifting the financial responsibility remains unchanged.
For brand owners handling over 25 tonnes of packaging annually with £1 million+ turnover, this means carefully evaluating their packaging choices now to minimise future costs.
The legislation introduces modulated fees from 2026, where packaging that is harder to recycle will incur higher costs. This creates a clear commercial imperative for brands to transition to more recyclable materials, and it’s a key priority for many of our customers here at Eco Flexibles. Traditional multi-layer flexible packaging, while highly functional, poses significant recycling challenges due to its mixed material composition.
This is compounded in the UK, where our recycling infrastructure is fractured and inconsistent, and falls behind a number of well-funded waste systems in Europe and Asia. These mixed-material formats will likely attract premium fees under the new system—costs that will need to be absorbed somewhere along the line.
Recyclable packaging, by contrast, offers a path to lower fees by meeting higher recycling standards. This reduction in fees helps lower the overall cost of compliance for businesses, creating a financial incentive to adopt recyclable materials. In turn, recyclable packaging also supports EPR’s overarching goal of waste reduction, contributing to a more circular economy and making materials more sustainable over time.
Getting EPR-ready with Eco Flexibles
The transition to recyclable flexible packaging needn’t be complex. At Eco Flexibles, we handle the entire process—from initial design through testing and accreditation to final delivery. Our team’s extensive packaging expertise means we understand the common challenges brands face and how to overcome them efficiently.
For brands seeking rapid progress, our range of ‘off the shelf’ recyclable designs offers a proven route to market. For those requiring bespoke solutions or like-for-like replacement of incumbent designs, we develop custom mono-material structures tailored to specific product requirements. In both cases, we ensure packaging maintains optimal performance while maximising recyclability.
The commercial implications of EPR make this the ideal time to evaluate packaging strategies with a partner like Eco Flexibles. Early movers can get ahead of regulatory requirements and this proactive approach not only helps control future costs but also positions brands favourably with increasingly sustainability-conscious consumers.
The question isn’t whether to embrace recyclable packaging—it’s how quickly you can make the switch. With EPR on the horizon and proven mono-material solutions available today, there’s never been a better time to take action.
The future of packaging is recyclable; why wait to be part of it?
Click here to get in touch with the Eco Flexibles team.
