Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether an impact assessment on recycling companies was conducted prior to the closure of the existing PRN/PERN system in January 2026.

Risks to delivery of the new PRN/PERN system were assessed and a broad range of delivery options were considered. The previous system (the National Waste Packaging Database) does not have the capability to support delivery of new regulatory requirements which take effect for 2026. It is not feasible to run two systems in parallel during the year, given that the PRN market operates on a calendar year basis. Defra is working hard to resolve issues as quickly as possible to minimise disruption to businesses.