Corporate report

PackUK operational plan: 2026 to 2027

Updated 27 February 2026

Executive summary 

The 2026 to 2027 PackUK operational plan sets out how PackUK, as the scheme administrator for the UK’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging, will deliver its statutory duties in its second operational year.  

The plan provides transparency in line with the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Waste) Regulations 2024 on:

• priorities 

• financial forecasts 

• methodologies 

• performance measures

First assessment year 

During the first assessment year (2025 to 2026), PackUK issued the scheme’s first notices of liability and forecasted £1.44 billion in payments to local authorities. This was supported by an additional £27 million for administration and public information, and a 4% impairment charge.  

Subsequent producer resubmissions and significant shifts in obligated tonnages highlighted financial risks and the increasing need for data accuracy and robust recalculation processes. 

Year 2 priorities 

For 2026 to 2027, PackUK’s key operational priorities include:

• delivering outcomes agreed in the UK’s joint EPR policy statement 

• setting and collecting fees with eco‑modulation 

• deploying the recyclability assessment methodology (RAM) 

• delivering year 2 local authority payments 

• implementing a strengthened 4 nations governance framework 

• finalising the appointment of a producer responsibility organisation (PRO) 

• further development to its 5-year strategic direction

PackUK will enhance stability in the system by limiting the acceptance of new local authority data after 1 May 2026 and introducing a structured schedule for producer recalculations, including alternative payment plans, where obligations materially change.  

To support data quality, PackUK will continue working closely with regulators to validate producer submissions and apply RAM data consistently across the system. 

Year 2 will also see continued development of the digital service, which provides the core infrastructure for data submission, validation, fee calculation, and payments.  

PackUK will coordinate with regulators, delivery partners, and the newly appointed PRO to ensure resilient operations, effective incident management, and coherent national communications, including investment in the Recycle Now Locator to improve recycling behaviours. 

PackUK remains committed to transparent governance, continuous improvement, and maintaining system integrity. Performance will be measured through indicators covering customer service, financial management, service reliability, and operational efficiency.  

The organisation will update the plan as required to reflect regulatory changes and evolving system needs. 

Financial forecasts 

Financial forecasts for the year include:

• £1.47 billion in chargeable disposal costs for local authorities across the UK 

• inflation‑adjusted administration and public information costs 

• a total forecast fee recovery of approximately £1.56 billion

Fee calculations continue to be underpinned by the local authority packaging cost and performance (LAPCAP) methodology, with Wales employing a bespoke distribution model agreed with the Welsh Government. 

Introduction to the operational plan 

This operational plan sets out how PackUK, in its role as scheme administrator of the UK’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging scheme, intends to carry out its statutory functions during the 2026 to 2027 financial year (the operational year). 

The plan provides transparency on priorities, expected costs and fees, operational approaches, and performance management, in line with regulatory requirements. 

This operational plan is published in accordance with paragraph 12 of Schedule 7 to the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024.  Under these provisions, the scheme administrator is required to publish an annual operational plan, setting out:

• priorities 

• forecasts 

• methodologies 

• planned activities 

• performance indicators

Assessment year 2025 to 2026

Within the first year of the EPR for packaging scheme (the 2025 to 26 assessment year), PackUK issued the first notices of liability in October 2025. At the time, the notices of liability were based on the intention to pay local authorities with per tonne fees set at the level calculated in June 2025.  

PackUK had anticipated paying £1.44 billion to local authorities across the UK. PackUK also estimated the number of producers brought into the scheme through the efforts of our regulatory partners within the 4 nations of the UK.  

With the addition of PackUK administration and public information costs of £27 million, and an impairment charge of 4%, PackUK invoiced a total of £1.46 billion from packaging producers. This is lower than the total required (£1.523 billion), to reflect data from anticipated late registrants coming into compliance. This total includes all applicable costs, such as PackUK administrative costs, public information costs and the impairment charge.  

PackUK has continued to actively engage with liable producers to ensure they pay what they owe under the scheme. This included issuing multiple warning letters and beginning the process of pursuing debt using PackUK’s enforcement powers.  

At the time of publication, PackUK had distributed 2 payments to each local authority, covering three-quarters of the financial year. The first payment covered both quarter one and quarter 2, but the payments will move to quarterly in the future.  

Subject to receipt of sufficient producer income, PackUK intends to make a fourth and final payment by 31 March 2026. Where there is insufficient producer income, top-up payments will be made by UK Government to bring Local Authorities to the amount indicated by PackUK. 

Priorities for the operational year 2026 to 2027 

The priorities for the financial year 2026 to 2027 are to:

• deliver the key outcomes in the UK joint policy statement on EPR for packaging 

• set and collect producer base fees with modulation and the efficient and effective management of packaging waste for local authorities  

• appoint a producer responsibility organisation (PRO) to resource and carry out several key functions on PackUK’s behalf 

• develop PackUK’s 5-year strategy in collaboration with 4 nation government strategies 

• deliver updated recyclability assessment methodology (RAM) in collaboration with industry and the RAM Technical Advisory Committee  

• produce the annual report and all other reporting documents not mentioned in this plan 

• deliver, test and ensure the quality of the EPR end-to-end service by collaborating with the multidisciplinary business areas, delivery teams and stakeholders, ensuring the necessary business processes are developed and followed and participating in the governance of the service 

• implement a 4 nations governance framework for PackUK to oversee the operations of all PackUK activities, including the Four Nations Ministerial Steering Board, Scheme Administrator Executive Committee and Scheme Administrator Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (SA ARAC)

These bodies ensure an equal role for each of the 4 nations in PackUK decision-making. There have been 4 advisory bodies established to support PackUK’s Executive Committee in their decision making, the:

• Scheme Administrator Steering Group (SASG) 

• Recyclability Assessment Methodology Technical Advisory Committee (RAM TAC) 

• Efficiency and Effectiveness Technical Advisory Committee (E&E TAC) 

• Communications and Behaviour Change Advisory Group (CBCAG)

Financial forecasts 

This section sets out PackUK’s forecasts for the main categories of costs and fees associated with the operation of the EPR for packaging scheme during the 2026 to 2027 operational year. 

Forecast of chargeable disposal costs 

PackUK has issued year 2 notices of assessment to all local authorities across the UK. These notices of assessment set out the amount of money that PackUK anticipates paying each local authority in the second year of the scheme, along with details of how this figure was calculated. Guidance on how these figures were calculated is available on GOV.UK.  

Based on these figures, and further recalculations, PackUK had forecast the total level of chargeable disposal costs. These can be found in table 1.

Table 1: total chargeable disposal costs forecast

Nation	Total disposal costs (rounded up)
England	£1.169 billion
Northern Ireland (NI)	£52 million
Scotland	£158 million
Wales	£91 million
Grand total	£1.47 billion

Forecast of public information, administration and impairment costs 

PackUK incurs costs associated with administering the scheme and supporting effective delivery of EPR for packaging, including: 

• public information disposal costs, relating to communications and information provided to support correct disposal of packaging waste by householders 

• administration costs, relating to operations, analysts, legal, management, governance, and assurance of the scheme 

Budget setting for 2026 to 2027 has started and will be finalised in early spring, pending final calculation of producer fees, and final confirmation of the PRO and digital system contributions.  

Applying inflationary uplifts to the forecast costs for the 2026 to 2027 operational year are as follows: 

• £400,000 for public information disposal costs 

• £28 million for administration costs 

Forecast of fees to be recovered 

PackUK issues notices of liability to cover all the costs set out above. Table 2 sets out the total anticipated costs and forecast fees PackUK expects to recover during the 2026 to 2027 operational year. 

Table 2: total forecast fees

Fee type	Forecast amount (rounded up)
Disposal fees	£1.47 billion
Administration fees	£28 million
Impairment	£60 million
Total	£1.558 billion

Calculating fees and payments 

This section describes the approach PackUK proposes to take during the 2026 to 2027 operational year to calculate: 

• disposal fees payable by liable producers 

• chargeable disposal costs of relevant authorities, as set out in Part 5 of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 

Chargeable disposal cost and payments 

The primary methodology for PackUK in calculating chargeable disposal costs uses the local authority packaging cost allocation performance (LAPCAP) model. The LAPCAP methodology allocates local authority waste management costs to packaging materials based on material composition, service design, and other evidence-based assumptions. 

For the 2026 to 2027 operational year, PackUK will use the LAPCAP methodology as the basis for calculating disposal fees payable to local authorities and therefore payable by liable producers.  

For the 2026 to 2027 operational year (year 2), PackUK has: 

• applied an inflationary uplift to the LAPCAP methodology developed for year one (the 2025 to 2026 operational year) 

• made some local adjustments for individual local authorities 

• removed a small adjustment for self-managed waste that is no longer required due to legislative change 

This approach has ensured stability in the early years of the EPR for packaging scheme for local authorities in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland as the LAPCAP methodology develops further.   

Chargeable disposal cost and payments for Wales 

The Welsh Government requested an alternative approach be implemented for Welsh local authorities in year 2. This approach recognises statutory recycling targets in Wales and leverages data inputs from the Welsh Local Government Association.  

Whilst the overall cost envelope for Wales was set using the same LAPCAP methodology, PackUK worked with the Welsh Government to develop an alternative distribution of payments to Welsh local authorities. This is a redistributive approach of the total envelope allocated to Wales by the LAPCAP methodology.  

Disposal fee calculations  

Following the establishment of the total cost payable to local authorities within the 2026 to 2027 assessment year, PackUK published illustrative producer fees in December 2025. This was published to help producers forecast their likely obligations in year 2 of the scheme.  

For the first time, these illustrative fees reflected eco-modulation under regulation 64 and were presented as green, amber and red fee rates. These figures were indicative only and were based on provisional data available at the time.  

PackUK remains unable to calculate confirmed year 2 disposal fees until all data is received from producers and checked by the 4 environmental regulators.  

Whilst data covering the period January to June 2025 (known as H1) was submitted by producers and their representatives by 1 October 2025, data covering the period July to December 2025 (known as H2) is not required to be submitted until 1 April 2026.  

Once all data is received, PackUK will work with the environmental regulators as they scrutinise the data before it’s used in calculating year 2 disposal fees in summer 2026.  

Submitting data against the recyclability assessment methodology 

To support producers, the 4 environmental regulators issued regulatory position statements or regulatory statements regarding the producer obligation to submit data against the published recyclability assessment methodology (RAM).  

Producers are legally required to collect and submit data in line with the RAM from the beginning of 2025. However, under the terms of these regulatory statements, enforcement action would not usually be taken where a producer did not include RAM data in their submission covering the H1 period. The obligation to include RAM data in the submission covering H2 remains in force.   

Where a producer has not included RAM in their H1 data, PackUK will apply the ratios at a material level from their H2 data to the tonnages in their H1 data. Year 2: 

• green tonnage is the total tonnage reported for the H1 period 2025 multiplied by the green percentage reported for the H2 period 2025, plus the green tonnage reported for the H2 period 2025 

• amber tonnage is the total tonnage reported for the H1 period 2025 multiplied by the amber percentage reported for the H2 period 2025, plus the amber tonnage reported for the H2 period 2025 

• red tonnage is the total tonnage reported for the H1 period 2025 multiplied by the red percentage reported for the H2 period 2025, plus the red tonnage reported for the H2 period 2025 

Where a producer later resubmits data for the H1 period 2025 in line with the RAM, PackUK will replace the calculated tonnages with the verified data submitted by the producer.  

Example adjustment for producer A who only submitted H2 RAM data 

Producer A reports 10,000 tonnes of glass and 2,000 tonnes of plastic in their H1 data. They do not include RAM data. 

Producer A then reports 12,000 tonnes of glass and 3,000 tonnes of plastic in their H2 data. All 12,000 tonnes of their glass are reported as green under the RAM, whilst 1,500 tonnes of their plastic is reported as amber, and 750 tonnes each in the green and red categories. Table 3 shows producer A’s percentage split. 

Table 3: producer’s RAM percentage split:

Material	Green waste	Amber waste	Red waste
Glass	100%	0%	0%
Plastic	25%	50%	25%

PackUK will then apply these ratios to their H1 data, add it to their H2 data and reach a total for their 2026 to 2027 obligated tonnage, using the following formulae:

• green tonnage is H1 tonnage multiplied by green percentage, add H2 green tonnage

• amber tonnage equals H1 tonnage multiplied by amber percentage, add H2 amber tonnage

• red tonnage equals H1 tonnage multiplied by red percentage,  add H2 red tonnage 

Glass green tonnage calculation is: 

• H1 tonnage multiplied by green percentage add H2 green tonnage 

• 10,000 multiplied by 100% add 12,000 equals 22,000 tonnes of green glass 

Plastic green tonnage calculations is: 

• H1 tonnage multiplied by green percentage add H2 green tonnage 

• 2,000 multiplied by 25% add 750 equals 1,250 tonnes of green plastic 

Plastic amber tonnage calculations is: 

• H1 tonnage multiplied by amber percentage add H2 amber tonnage 

• 2,000 multiplied by 50% add 1,500 equals 2,500 tonnes of amber plastic 

Plastic red tonnage calculations is: 

• H1 tonnage multiplied by red percentage add H2 red tonnage 

• 2,000 multiplied by 25% add 750 equals 1,250 tonnes of red plastic 

The total year 2 tonnages for producer A are shown in table 4. 

Table 4: producer A total year 2 tonnage:

Material	Green waste	Amber waste	Red waste	Total
Glass	22,000 tonnes	Zero tonnes	Zero tonnes	22,000 tonnes
Plastic	1,250 tonnes	2,500 tonnes	1,250 tonnes	5,000 tonnes

Recalculation of notices 

PackUK issues notices of assessment to local authorities under regulation 74 and notices of liability to liable producers under regulation 67.  

Regulations 78 to 83 set out the circumstances in which PackUK may issue a recalculated notice of assessment or a notice of liability.  

Local authorities: receiving new data after a notice of assessment has been issued 

Local authorities’ notices of assessment are based on data provided by local authorities to a variety of sources – for example, Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), Welsh Local Government Association and direct responses to PackUK Request For Information (RFI).  

Following the issuance of the notices of assessment, local authorities are able to make a complaint against the amount, for example, if they believe the data or methodology used to calculate their costs does not follow the requirements of the legislation.  

Where a local authority provides new, verifiable information as part of its complaint, PackUK will consider this information within the scope of the LAPCAP information. If the information can be verified as genuine and affects the amount they would receive under the scheme, PackUK will then look to recalculate the amount payable to the local authority and issue a new notice of assessment. To ensure stability in the overall system, PackUK will not facilitate this process indefinitely. As producer fees are used to fund local authority disposal costs, any recalculation of local authority payments may result in corresponding changes to producer fees.

After 1 May 2026, PackUK will not generally consider any new data submitted for the 2026 to 2027 assessment year. Any data submitted after this date will be featured in the 2027 to 2028 assessment year, covered by a separate operational plan.

It is PackUK’s intention to slowly bring this date earlier in the year as the system settles in, balancing the need to give certainty to producers with the need to provide fairness to local authorities.  

This does not affect a local authority’s ability to bring an appeal under regulation 105. 

Local authorities: use of funds 

PackUK is clear that funds provided to local authorities should be spent on managing packaging waste services.  

In England, the Defra Secretary of State has formally instructed PackUK to ensure that English local authorities spend the money on managing packaging waste. Where local authorities do not spend the money on packaging waste services, PackUK retains the right to recalculate their obligation as set out in the regulation.  

It is PackUK’s stated intention to work with local authorities in this scenario to emphasise the need to use the money for its intended purposes, with recalculations anticipated as a last resort where a local authority is clear they do not intend to use their EPR for packaging income appropriately. 

Producers: receiving new data after a notice of liability has been issued 

Packaging producers can resubmit packaging data throughout the year. When a resubmission is made and verified by the relevant regulator. This may change a producer’s disposal fee obligation under EPR. Due to the nature of EPR for packaging, this could also impact the notices of liability of all other liable producers.  

To prevent having to recalculate the notice of liability for all producers too frequently, PackUK has taken a position where we will only issue an updated notice of liability at specific points throughout the year. 

PackUK intends to:  

• issue the first notices of liability for the 2026 to 2027 assessment year by July 2026 

• conduct a formal recalculation by November 2026 

• create a year-end recalculation in late March to early April 2027 

• retain a fall-back option of a further formal recalculation in February 2027 

Producers: alternative payment plans for significant changes to a notice of liability 

It is recognised that some producer resubmissions significantly change their data and could result in them significantly over or underpaying if they continue to make payment against their original notice of liability.  

To prevent this, PackUK also operates a process of alternative payment plans. Where packaging producers resubmit their packaging data, PackUK will assess the change in their obligation against a materiality threshold. This covers both percentage change and gross change in the amount owed. If the obligation changes by more than either £1 million or 10% of the original total, PackUK will look to issue an alternative payment plan. These thresholds will not apply if the overall change is less than £500.  

Under this plan, PackUK will: 

• contact the relevant producer and inform them in writing of their new obligation, based on what they could expect it to be if their notice of liability is recalculated at that time 

• review the producer’s notice of liability at the next formal recalculation 

• issue a revised notice of liability (if appropriate), setting out the new payment plan  

Producers: changing per tonne fees and its impact on the notice of liability 

In the first year of the scheme, there have been a significant number of producers resubmitting their packaging data late into the year. This remains a challenge when setting packaging fees, as they are based on a net cost recovery to meet regulatory requirements. As obligated tonnages change, per tonne fees will change slightly.  

At each formal recalculation, PackUK will review whether a change in per tonne fees is required to make sure that PackUK correctly charges producers, without creating a surplus or shortfall. Such a review will be done in consultation with the 4 nation governments.  

PackUK also recognises that changing fees -  which will only apply for 2026-27 - throughout the year can cause uncertainty for producers. This is particularly the case for producers who submit their data accurately without the need for significant resubmissions, who face uncertainty due to the resubmissions of others.  

After 1 October 2026, PackUK will no longer generally recalculate a notice of liability for producers who have resubmitted packaging data to a lower obligation. This is to facilitate greater stability in producer obligations.

Where a producer resubmits their packaging data and their overall obligation would increase, PackUK will look to recalculate to ensure that producers are not able to avoid obligation by resubmitting data later in the year. This will ensure that producer obligations should only increase after the October recalculation if they resubmit their own data to cause such an increase. If their data remains unchanged, and the overall tonnage used in calculations increases because of this approach, PackUK will review the issuing of lower notices of liability.  

To further support this stability, PackUK is working with the 4 nations to explore what regulatory amendments may be required. This will ensure that data stability is fully embedded into the scheme to further support producers in being able to accurately forecast their obligations.  

Public information and communications 

For the 2026 to 2027 operational year, PackUK will work with the Communications and Behaviour Change Advisory Group and the PRO to develop and deliver public information and communication plans to support the objectives of EPR for packaging. This will need close coordination across the 4 nation governments and will start with a diagnostic of existing communication and behaviour change efforts, which are currently fragmented across local, regional and national levels.  

Responsibility for communications and public information campaigns is one of the first functions that has been proposed for delegation to the PRO in year one.  

Any strategy developed will need consideration of where campaigns supported by EPR for packaging funding can drive greatest impact, whilst providing value for money.  

One confirmed project for 2026 to 2027 is working with Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) on the Recycle Now Locator. This will significantly: 

• enhance the locator’s visibility for packaging 

• drive increased usage 

• promote correct recycling behaviours for packaging 

A targeted investment will be used to build valuable packaging related content, to drive traffic to and improve searches on the locator. This will help more people to recycle more packaging correctly.

Digital service

A bespoke digital service has been developed to support the specific needs of PackUK and its stakeholders. It replaces older systems which are incapable of processing the data EPR for packaging relies on. The system also reduces the chance of mistakes by creating a centralised service with a standardised approach to data validation and collection. 

What will the digital service do? 

The digital service: 

• provides enhanced validation and automated checks, creating efficiencies in regulatory resource before presenting the data to regulators for acceptance 

• calculates the disposal costs for producers based on the data accepted by regulators – this allows PackUK to produce accurate notices of liability that are presented to producers through the service 

• is being further developed to allow local authorities to register and submit financial details to receive payments and submit waste data to support payment allocations 

Pack UK will continue to build the digital system as legislative requirements evolve, although future improvements will be constrained by funding. 

What can producers and compliance schemes do through this digital service? 

Through this digital service, producers and compliance schemes can: 

• register and pay their registration fee directly to the relevant regulator 

• submit their packaging data using the recyclability assessment methodology to assess their packaging waste to comply with EPR for packaging regulations 

• view and pay their notice of liability based on their packaging data submission once they are assessed and accepted by the regulator 

Extensive guidance and submission templates are provided on GOV.UK to support producers with these activities. 

Governance framework 

A governance framework for PackUK has been developed to oversee the operations of all PackUK activities. This governance structure includes:  

• a 4 nations ministerial steering board 

• the Scheme Administrator Executive Committee 

• the advisory Audit and Risk Assurance Committee 

SA ExCo will also be supported in their decision making by advisory bodies of experts representing the packaging value chain, including the:  

• Scheme Administrator Steering Group 

• Recyclability Assessment Methodology Technical Advisory Committee 

• Efficiency and Effectiveness Technical Advisory Committee 

• Communications and Behaviour Change Advisory Group 

These bodies provide well evidenced, expert advice, guidance and recommendations to SA ExCo, but are not decision-making bodies. The recommendations from these groups will play a central role in guiding PackUK as it grows and develops. The group roles and responsibilities will be periodically reviewed.   

 Collaboration with regulators 

The operational agreement (OA) serves as the definitive framework for collaboration between PackUK and the 4 UK environmental regulators: 

• Environment Agency 

• Natural Resources Wales 

• Scottish Environment Protection Agency 

• Northern Ireland Environment Agency 

Functioning as a practical handbook, the OA defines how these bodies interact within the EPR for packaging and materials facilities (MF) regimes. It is designed to ensure strategic alignment, streamline long-term planning, and provide clear expectations for resourcing and cross-organisational processes. It provides insight on the regulatory oversight of: 

• MF – standardising sampling and reporting requirements for sorting facilities 

• intelligence and enforcement – aligning on data-led interventions to ensure a level playing field 

• fraud and error – establishing protocols to detect and mitigate leakage or false reporting 

The OA also provides data and digital flow information on: 

• data sharing – defining the secure protocols for transferring producer data between agencies 

• data quality and accuracy – setting the ‘gold standard’ for data validation and verification 

• dual-use packaging – clarifying definitions for packaging used in both business and household contexts 

The OA provides strategic policy for: 

• RAM and fee modulation – managing the fee modulation framework based on packaging recyclability 

• commonly binned and collected – maintaining dynamic lists of commonly binned items, and what is technically recyclable versus what is actually recycled 

• the producer responsibility organisation (PRO) – outlining the specific duties of the PRO 

And finally, the OA provides a framework for governance of: 

• external communications – ensuring a ‘single voice’ approach when advising industry stakeholders 

• queries and appeals – streamlining the resolution process for producer disputes or technical questions 

• PackUK Advisory Group – facilitating formal feedback loops between the PackUK as Scheme Administrator, and the regulators

Responding to incidents in PackUK 

PackUK is committed to maintaining the effective and resilient operation of the EPR for packaging scheme and to responding appropriately to any major incidents that could affect the delivery of its statutory functions.  

Where, during its activities, PackUK responds to a major incident, they will work closely with colleagues within Defra as the host department, and with the 4 nations governments.  

PackUK will follow established incident management and governance arrangements to assess impacts, coordinate response activity and support the timely restoration of normal operations. This includes: 

• clear internal escalation routes 

• coordination with the relevant delivery partners, suppliers, regulators and assurance bodies 

PackUK is committed to engaging transparently with affected customers and stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of an incident. Communications will be timely, accurate and proportionate, reflecting the nature and significance of the issue. Where appropriate, PackUK will provide updates on impacts and resolution activity.  

Following the resolution of an incident, PackUK will conduct lessons learned activities to inform future operational planning, controls and processes, as part of its ongoing commitment to effective scheme administration and continuous improvement.  

 Appointing a producer responsibility organisation (PRO) 

PackUK are working to appoint a PRO, which will be an independent producer-led body, to work alongside PackUK in delivery of EPR for packaging. 

PackUK will appoint the PRO to perform certain functions under the regulations on its behalf and provide advice, recommendations, or support to PackUK when it performs those functions.  

The PRO application process opened on 3 November 2025 and ran for 6 weeks, closing on Friday 12 December 2025. PackUK aims to make a formal appointment of the PRO in March 2026 using powers in the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 as amended. 

Once the PRO is appointed, PackUK will begin the delegation of agreed functions to the PRO gradually over a multi-year period.  

PackUK, as the appointing authority, will maintain a proportionate oversight of the PRO to ensure its delivery is as required and remains accountable to governments of the 4 nations. Conditions of appointment will be placed on the appointed PRO to ensure rigour and a clear framework is established for managing the ongoing relationship between PackUK and the PRO.  

Functions that will be delegated are subject to agreement by the Scheme Administrator Executive Committee. This will include functions related to:  

• developing modulation and recyclability assessment methodologies 

• leading on communications and public information sharing 

Sovereign functions including sign off and ownership of data, fee-setting and administering of payments, cannot be delegated to the PRO and will be retained by PackUK.

How PackUK will measure their performance and success 

PackUK have set targets for the 2026 to 2027 operational year in key areas such as: 

• digital service performance 

• financial services 

• continuous service improvements 

• customer support  

• EPR services 

• analysis, and fees and payment 

• RAM 

Digital service performance 

PackUK aims to achieve 99.5% customer relationship manager (CRM) system availability each month.

Financial services 

Within agreed timeframes and a 100% target, PackUK are aiming to: 

• deliver all notices of liability to producers 

• collect all payments from producers 

• issue all notices of assessment to local authorities 

• issue all grant letters to local authorities 

• receive all local authorities’ payments 

• send all local authority remittance notices 

• send all payment reminders issued to relevant producers 

• call all producers that are in debt 

Continuous service improvement 

PackUK would like to: 

• complete 90% of process improvements and action plans within agreed timeframes 

• identify at least 5% gains on improvement 

Customer support 

There are key areas under customer support that PackUK would like to improve on for the 2026 to 2027 operational year. PackUK will: 

• increase the number of payment related calls (first contact resolution) that we resolve from year one (80%) to 90% 

• answer 85% of calls within 20 seconds 

• reduce calls abandoned by the caller due to not being answered to less that 5% 

• reduce the volume of tickets that have not been actioned or updated after initial logging (up to 5 days) to under 20% 

• increase overall user satisfaction with support to 90% 

• answer all other queries within 20 days 

EPR services 

PackUK want to deliver improvements across cost efficiency, service quality, and delivery milestones, ensuring the EPR service is built on robust processes, provides value for money, and meets agreed timelines. 

Analysis, fees and payments 

PackUK will strengthen analytical capability to assess how EPR funding influences local authority performance, such as increases in recycling rates, while improving the accuracy of fee setting and ensuring payments are timely, fair, and evidence‑based. 

RAM 

We will publish the next iteration of the RAM (RAM 2027) by 1 July 2026.

Consultation with the 4 nation governments 

In developing this operational plan, PackUK undertook consultation with the 4 nations (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), in accordance with Schedule 7 of the regulations.  

Draft versions of the operational plan were shared with each nation, and a minimum one-month period was provided for representations to be made.

After receiving feedback from all 4 nations, we reviewed their comments and have incorporated them into this operational plan. Some of these changes include: 

• emphasising the Wales-specific approach to local authority payments, and that the regulations apply UK-wide 

• a regular review of the advisory groups and governance framework 

• clear details of what the costs to PackUK include – it has been noted that clear communications are required for producers regarding recalculations 

• the addition of the WRAP Recycle Now Locator on all local authorities’ websites