Corporate report

PackUK: annual report 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025

Published 26 September 2025

The Scheme Administrator is required to publish an annual report for activities undertaken by PackUK during the financial year. This is a joint statement from the Interim Head of Pack UK and the Chief Executive Officer, PackUK.

We are presenting a brief summary annual report for FY24-25 as this year was about establishing the new scheme in line with our legislative obligations, and impacts will only be measured once the scheme is fully operational. At PackUK, we are excited to be driving a major shift in how packaging is made, used and recycled across the UK. Our mission is simple: to build a packaging system that’s smart, efficient, and genuinely sustainable.

It has been a year of substantial achievement, and we’ve made huge progress in fulfilling our statutory obligations. We remain committed to working across all four UK nations to reduce the environmental impact of packaging and build long lasting change whilst ensuring transparency and accountability in all our operations.

The Scheme Administrator’s core role is delivering fees and payments. In June 2025 we published Base fees for year 1 (2025 to 2026) of EPR. These are the fees that would be charged to liable packaging producers by PackUK. We also formally notified local authorities of their expected payments for Year 1. Together these give certainty to business and local authorities to finalise their preparation in advance of invoices being issued (October 2025) and local authority payments being made (November 2025).

Below is a summary of our performance against our strategic objectives and intended outcomes during PackUK’s set up stage, laying the foundations for delivering its long-term vision and approach.

Goal 1: deliver the key outcomes in the UK joint policy statement on Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR)

• producer base fees and modulation

• local authority efficient and effective management of packaging waste

Progress

The producer base fees for year 1 of EPR packaging were published on 27 June 2025, Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging: 2025 base fees - GOV.UK.

Published Modulation Policy Statement. Modulated fees will be introduced from 2026, Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging: Modulated Disposal Fees - GOV.UK.

PackUK will deliver the Improvement Actions Process (IAP) pilots across the four nations to enhance and refine future processes for Local authority (LA) efficient and effective management of packaging waste. The objective of the pilots is to understand how the IAP will work in practice. PackUK wants to ensure the IAP works with each nation’s existing waste performance policies and governance processes. Pilot outcomes will include specific improvement actions and local authority metric information.

There will be further engagement with industry on efficiency and effectiveness measures and metrics in early 2026, following initial engagement and policy development during Autumn 2025.

Measuring and reporting on progress:

• PackUK Strategy

• Operational Plan

Pack UK interim strategy - GOV.UK was published in June 2025, setting out how it is delivering in the short term. A long-term version of the strategy is due to be published later in 2025.

The 2024-25 Operational Plan was published in February. 2025-26 will be the first full Operational Plan that PackUK will be in existence.

Goal 2: appoint a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) to carry out several key functions on its behalf.

Progress

An Expression of Interest process was undertaken in June 2025 and engagement activities took place with potential candidates over the summer to discuss the scope of PRO delegated functions.

The formal application process is expected to launch in October 2025, with planned appointment of the PRO by PackUK by March 2026, once the amending regulations come into force.

Goal 3: appoint senior staff

Key appointments in place to lead the PackUK organisation, namely the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Operating Officer.

Progress

Recruitment of senior staff has been undertaken and permanent appointments for two key positions have been made -the Chief Executive Officer, Jeremy Blake; and Chief Strategy Officer, Esther Carter. The role of Chief Operating Officer is currently held on interim basis and recruitment of the permanent appointee is underway.

Goal 4: implement governance and technical committees

Implement a four nations governance framework for PackUK to oversee the operations of all PackUK activities. This includes a four-nations Ministerial Steering Board (FNMSB), the Scheme Administrator Executive Committee (SA ExCo) and the advisory Scheme Administrator Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (SA ARAC). Each of these bodies will ensure an equal role for each of the four nations in PackUK decision-making. New technical committees will also be formed for Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM), Efficiency and Effectiveness, and Communications and Behaviour Change (CBCAG).

Progress

The PackUK governance framework is now in place including a four nations Ministerial Steering Board (FNMSB), the Scheme Administrator Executive Committee (SA ExCo). Work is ongoing to establish the advisory Scheme Administrator Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (SA ARAC). The four nations are represented on each of these bodies.

Expressions of interest were invited in February 2025 for the three new technical committees and the first meeting of the RAM Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) undertaken in June 2025. CBCAG and Efficiency and Effectiveness TAC have been appointed and will meet in autumn. The Scheme Administrator Steering Group in process of reappointment at time of writing.

Goal 5: deliver Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM)

Collaborate with industry to use modulation, pEPR fees and the Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) to encourage the use of more sustainable packaging and drive change within the packaging value chain, whilst ensuring there is sufficient scope for packaging innovation.

Progress

In April 2025,  PackUK published Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) v1.1, Recyclability assessment methodology: how to assess your packaging waste - GOV.UK.

Goal 6: deliver Efficiency and Effectiveness (E&E)

Deliver the Improvement Action Process (IAP) pilots across the four nations to enhance and refine future processes to understand how the IAP will work in practice. Pilot outcomes include strategic outline case, specific improvement actions and LA metric information.

Work closely across the four nations to bring E&E timelines forward.

Progress

Six LA ‘Improvement Action Process’ pilots are being delivered by six support organisations from July to December 2025.

• Cornwall (Ricardo)

• Tower Hamlets (PA consulting)

• Fife (SLR)

• Shetland (Wrap)

• Western river side (Eunomia)

• Derry City Strabane (WSP)

A specific pilot will be designed and delivered with the Welsh Government and Welsh local authorities.

IAP guidance document to be issued in December 2025.

Goal 7: align with Devolved Government policies and strategies

PackUK strategy will align with Devolved Government circular economy reforms, polices and regulations to ensure alignment.

Progress

The objective of PackUK is to work across all four nations to implement pEPR. The four nations are represented on all governance forums ensuring all are involved in decision making. All announcements, policies and the strategy are undertaken jointly and PackUK aims to create a unified, collaborative approach with each nation playing a crucial role in its success.

Financial overview

PackUK is required to provide details of fees paid to the Scheme Administrator and the amounts distributed to local authorities. This year we primarily focused upon establishing the new scheme in line with our legislative obligations. Minimal financial flows therefore occurred in the year 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025 as no disposal fees been raised from producers, or amounts distributed to local authorities.

PackUk, the Scheme Administrator was formally established on 21 January 2025 and incurred commencement costs to the value of £2.354m. These commencement costs will be recovered by producers’ fees as part of Scheme Administrator costs for the Assessment year 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026. Underlying transactions will form part of each government’s standard accounts and audit process.

Future outlook

The legislation requires that the Scheme Administrator may enter into an agreement with a public body or with a private sector body for that body to perform delegated  functions on its behalf. Therefore, we are prioritising appointing a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) to carry out several key functions to support delivery. While the PRO will develop its own strategy, it will remain closely aligned with the strategic direction of PackUK.

Signed,

Dr Margaret Bates, Interim Head of PackUK and Jeremy Blake, Chief Executive Officer, PackUK (from 1 September 2025)