Packaging waste data reported by reprocessors and exporters
Aggregated packaging waste data from reports by accredited reprocessors and exporters under the extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging regulations.
Documents
Details
Accredited reprocessors and exporters must submit monthly reports to show how much waste packaging they have reprocessed or exported.
The data is broken down by month and includes the following information:
- tonnage of packaging waste received
- whether waste was recycled, exported or sent on
- tonnage of packaging waste recycling notes (PRNs) and packaging waste export recycling notes (PERNs) issued
- average prices per tonne for the sale of PRNs and PERNs
Data for England is published on a separate tab, however the data for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is only shown as part of the UK data – this is to protect commercial data for identifiable operators.
The data was extracted from the ‘Record reprocessed or exported packaging waste’ service on 21 May 2026.
What this data does and does not cover
This data includes packaging waste data submitted by accredited UK reprocessors and exporters.
The data does not include:
- data from accredited reprocessors and exporters who are required to report their data but have not
- data from accredited reprocessors and exporters who reported their data after the date it was extracted from the system
- quarterly data from reprocessors and exporters who only hold a registered status
2025 data cannot be directly compared to 2026. This is because the figures published in ‘Aggregated packaging waste data: January to March 2026’ do not include the aggregated ‘waste balance’ for all accredited waste operators; that is, the tonnage of PRNs/PERNs that could be issued but have not yet been.
‘Tonnage received for recycling’ covers waste recorded by 2 types of operators: those who issue PRNs based on the weight of packaging waste received for recycling and those who issue PRNs based on the weight of recycled material coming out of their recycling process. Therefore, for operators who work on an ‘outputs’ basis, the tonnage ‘received for recycling’ is not necessarily the same as the tonnage they can actually issue evidence on. (The figure of the ‘tonnage on which evidence may be issued’ is not currently published.) This means the total ‘packaging waste received for recycling’ figure will be higher than the tonnage on which PRNs/PERNs can actually be issued.
‘Tonnage exported’ is not included in waste balances until the ‘date received at ORS by approved overseas reprocessor’ field has been completed within the export summary log.
The data is subject to change due to late submissions, resubmissions and new submissions.
The regulators have a duty to monitor the accuracy of EPR for packaging data submitted into the reporting service. These checks are ongoing. Regulators are working with reprocessors and exporters to identify and correct data errors. As a result, the data that makes up these total figures may include reporting issues that have not yet been addressed.
If you have any questions about this data set, contact: packaging@environment-agency.gov.uk