Valpak urges businesses to use the time to prepare

Responding to Defra’s announcement of a delay to the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (EPR), Steve Gough, CEO at the UK's largest compliance scheme, Reconomy brand Valpak, said: “In the current economic climate, stakeholders face tough choices. With consumers under significant pressure from the cost-of-living crisis, both government and business are struggling to balance budgets against a commitment to progress with environmental improvements. Defra today said that EPR charges would be delayed until 2025, with charges under the current PRN regulations to carry on into 2024. This offers a great opportunity to effectively have a dry run of the EPR data collection process, so that targets for 2025 EPR can be set in the most appropriate manner.

“EPR calls for data to be collected and prepared in a new format, and those which have not prepared will struggle to meet deadlines at short notice. Valpak staff are on hand to support members with any questions and issues they have with collecting data. This extended data collection requirement and the delay in the EPR charges gives opportunities for businesses to analyse and make changes ahead of the increased costs coming in 2025.

“Companies in a number of sectors have been facing uncertainty over whether they need to register, particularly converters of packaging, franchisees and those in hospitality. But under the new delay they will remain obligated under the previous system until the end of 2024.”

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Editors notes

• Valpak’s mission is to create a sustainable, waste-free world. We are driven, not by today. We are driven by tomorrow.
• We help our clients to reduce waste and recycle more, continually innovating and using leading data science and expertise to inspire businesses, help push ourselves – and our industry – forward. We don’t just show our customers how to navigate waste regulations; we help them become more sustainable, through our ever-increasing capabilities and pioneering innovations.
• Valpak is the largest environmental compliance scheme in the UK. We work with major names, such as Aldi, Tesco, ASOS, and Miele, and manages compliance for more than 2,000 businesses. In 2022, it celebrated its 25th anniversary.
• Valpak is a Reconomy Group company. Reconomy Group is an innovative, tech-led provider of services to enable the circular economy, with the purpose of creating a truly sustainable world by conserving finite resources. Enabling businesses around the world to improve their ESG outcomes, the Reconomy Group delivers value through its unique set of integrated capabilities - Recycle, Comply and Re-use.

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• Reconomy Group serves businesses of all sizes in the following sectors: retail, hospitality, leisure, manufacturing, facilities management, transport and logistics, construction, house building and infrastructure.
• Valpak services include:

o   Compliance under Waste Packaging, WEEE, and Battery Directives.

o   Data insights.

o   International compliance.

o   Recycling services (total waste management options and solutions for niche materials).

o   Consultancy.

o   Accreditation under environmental schemes, such as Zero Waste to Landfill. 

• Valpak invests in pioneering systems and expertise which enable its customers to analyse, assess and improve product design. The Product Data Hub, Insight Platform and dedicated teams work together to drive change.