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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether all (a) glass, (b) steel, (c) aluminium and (d) PET drinks containers are subject to reporting and payment of Extended Producer Responsibility as there is no exemption for Wales under EPR Regulation 11.

Under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, Deposit items of a relevant deposit scheme are exempt from reporting, recycling and disposal fee obligations.

Prior to the introduction of a relevant deposit scheme, steel, aluminium, and PET drinks containers are subject to data reporting and recycling obligations but not disposal fees. Provided that a deposit scheme comes into operation in at least one part of the UK by 1 January 2028, steel, aluminium and PET drinks containers will not be subject to disposal fees in any part of the UK. However, if a deposit scheme is not in operation in any part of the United Kingdom by 1 January 2028, liable producers of steel, aluminium, and PET drinks containers will also pay disposal fees for this packaging.

Glass drinks containers are subject to the full range of pEPR obligation and liable producers are obliged to pay disposal fees for this packaging.