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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research her Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned into packaging recovery note (PRN) market; what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reforming the PRN system; and which organisations she has consulted on the scope for such reforms.

In 2015 Defra commissioned an external consultancy to undertake economic analysis and research into various aspects of the operation of the market for packaging waste recovery notes (PRN). The resulting reports will be published in due course.

In response to the ongoing negotiation of the European Commission’s Circular Economy Package, and in relation to the potential impacts of EU Exit, a wide range of stakeholders have been engaging with Government to provide advice and recommendations for the potential future of the UK’s packaging waste system. Submissions have included options for reforming the current system. Defra will take this information into account in the formulation of any future policy.