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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the evidential basis is for the levels of Extended Producer Responsibility fee for (a) steel food cans, (b) fibre-based cartons and (c) plastic pouches.

Defra published the second iteration of packaging extended producer responsibility (pEPR) illustrative base fees on 30 of September. These illustrative fees are estimates only, based on the best available data at the time. They are not the final base fees to be used for year 1 of the pEPR scheme. The second iteration of illustrative base fees are based on tonnages of packaging placed on the market in 2023, as reported by producers on RPD, and local authority waste management costs, which were modelled using the LAPCAP model. Local authority costs account for the management of different material types based on key drivers, such as a local authority recycling system, residual collection frequency, or level of deprivation and rurality. Defra’s model is undergoing a robust quality assurance process under the new Government, with ongoing consultation taking place which involves local authorities and packaging producers, to ensure that fees reflect the costs of waste management associated with each material.