The UK Government has announced that glass drinks containers sold directly by producers to pubs, restaurants and other licensed hospitality venues will no longer attract waste disposal fees under Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) from April 2027. PackUK also plans to seek evidence in early 2027 on how future fees could better reflect how easily packaging can be recycled.
Which drinks containers are covered?
The April 2027 change covers glass drinks containers sold directly by producers to licensed hospitality venues. It is intended to address situations where venues already pay for commercial waste collection and also face pEPR costs passed on through the price of bottled drinks. Defra estimates potential savings of up to 6p per beer bottle and 10p per wine bottle. The government has yet to set out how drinks supplied through wholesalers or distributors would be treated under the measure.
What could change for packaging disposal fees?
PackUK already adjusts disposal fees according to recyclability, a process known as fee modulation. Under its published schedule, Red-rated packaging subject to modulation is due to attract 1.6 times the Amber fee for the same material in 2027/28, rising to twice the Amber fee in 2028/29. British Glass reports that the latest measures include plans to bring forward higher fee adjustments for less recyclable packaging from April 2027 and to update the material value used to calculate fees for glass. Revised rates have yet to be published.
Read the British Glass statement.
PackUK’s call for evidence will look at how fees could be lower for packaging that is easier to recycle and higher for packaging that is harder to recycle. Defra says the wider changes could reduce annual fees for the most recyclable packaging by up to 40%, with the rates and qualifying packaging still to be determined. A separate call for evidence on expanding packaging reuse is planned for December 2026.
What this means for Clarity members
Members should continue to report packaging data under the current guidance and meet existing deadlines. If you supply glass drinks containers directly to licensed hospitality venues, the practical detail to look out for is how to identify and evidence eligible sales under the April 2027 measure.
If you’d like to discuss how these changes could affect your business, speak to your Clarity account manager or get in touch.
Read the government announcement on GOV.UK
