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 of the potential impact of the extended producer responsibility scheme on small food manufacturers.

The Government has worked closely with industry, including the food sector, throughout development of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging. Feedback from stakeholders has been factored into finalising the regulations, including consulting stakeholders on a draft of the pEPR regulations in 2023.

Government recognises the importance of protecting small producers from direct cost obligations. This is why the regulations include a de-minimis threshold of £2 million turnover and 50 tonnes which exempts approximately 70% of the UK's smaller producers from paying scheme fees.