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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made on the potential impact of extended producer responsibility for packaging on the glass industry.

Defra officials have engaged extensively with the glass sector in developing these reforms since 2019.

Minister Creagh met with British Glass on 21 October 2024 and attended a glass re-use roundtable hosted by the British Beer & Pub Association on 14 January. Minister Creagh and Minister Jones, Minister of State at the both the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Department of Business and Trade, met British Glass on the 11th February to discuss points raised by the glass sector in detail.

Defra has responded to concerns from the glass sector about the inclusion of glass in the Deposit Return Scheme, it has remained out of scope as a result. Although packaging weight is a key driver of waste management costs, estimated packaging volumes, not packaging weight, are used to calculate kerbside dry recycling collections costs in pEPR to reflect practical limitations with collection systems. This is especially important for heavier materials such as glass, which would otherwise see higher base fees.

Defra continues to monitor the potential impact of EPR fees on the glass industry through continued engagement and extensive analysis of the packaging market.