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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of EPR on the ability of businesses to meet recycling targets or to exceed them.

Packaging waste recycling targets, met by businesses through their recycling obligations, were set whilst taking account of the expected effects of Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) alongside other recycling reforms, including Simpler Recycling.

These reforms are intended to improve the quality and quantity of material collected for recycling. Businesses remain responsible for meeting their packaging recycling obligations, and Defra will continue to monitor evidence from scheme delivery.