Closed loop packaging waste: EPR for packaging
Closed loop packaging waste under extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging - what it is, how to register, how to report it and a summary of fees and conditions.
If you’re a large producer reporting under EPR for packaging, you’ll be able to offset the weight of closed loop packaging waste that you collect and recycle against the weight of household packaging you supply.
To submit closed loop packaging waste data, you must register for this as part of your annual large producer registration for EPR for packaging. An additional registration fee of £2,548 applies, paid at the same time as your standard large producer registration fee.
For 2027 registration (deadline 1 October 2026), you can use your organisation details CSV to register your intent to report closed loop packaging waste.
For more information about EPR for packaging, including who must report and what information they must collect and submit, check the EPR for packaging guidance.
What closed loop packaging waste is
Closed loop packaging waste is household packaging that meets certain conditions:
It must be:
- made of food-grade plastic packaging
- collected from the end user by, or on behalf of, the same producer who supplied it
- recycled by a single reprocessor, in the UK or overseas
- recycled into food-grade plastic material or articles
What materials are used
Eligible closed loop packaging waste must be made from food-grade plastic household packaging. Examples include PET ready-meal trays.
Collection
To be eligible for the closed loop offset, the producer who supplied this packaging must also collect it from the consumer.
They can do this themselves or commission someone to do this on their behalf. The closed loop packaging waste must not be mixed with any other waste during the collection and transport.
Recycling process
The closed loop packaging waste must go to a single accredited reprocessor or exporter.
The reprocessor or exporter must recycle the waste back into food-grade plastic material or articles.
What closed loop packaging waste is eligible for offsetting
You can only report closed loop packaging that you supplied as filled packaging on or after 1 January 2024.
You must report this packaging in your packaging waste data for the appropriate period.
If you collected the packaging before 1 January 2025 and have already submitted data for that period, you can amend your data and resubmit it.
How to register for closed loop packaging waste
From July 2026, you can register your intent to submit closed loop packaging waste data as part of your 2027 large producer registration on the ’Report packaging data’ service. The legal deadline to register is 1 October 2026.
To register, include ‘Yes’ in column 79 (closed_loop_registration) of your organisation details CSV. This column is optional - if you do not include it, or leave it blank, the system will default to ‘No’.
The registration deadline is 1 October each year.
We recommend you include your closed loop packaging waste registration in your initial registration submission. If you do not, you can resubmit your registration later to add it.
If you are a compliance scheme operator (CSO), you can register member producers for closed loop packaging waste on their behalf.
If you remove your closed loop packaging waste registration from your organisation details file, the fee will also be removed.
How to report or amend closed loop data
You’ll report your closed loop packaging waste data using the Report packaging data service.
For data from 2024 and 2025, you’ll resubmit an amended figure for self-managed consumer waste.
For 2026 data onwards, you’ll report closed loop packaging waste data using a new process. Find out how to report packaging data.
How to enter closed loop data in your packaging file
When you submit your packaging data file, you must follow specific rules for any rows that contain closed loop packaging waste data.
Use ‘CLR’ as the packaging type code (packaging_type) for any row containing closed loop packaging waste data.
For CLR rows, you must set the packaging material (packaging_material) to ‘PL’ (food-grade plastic only). CLR data cannot be reported for any other material type.
The packaging class (packaging_class) must be ‘O1’ for CLR rows. No other packaging class code is valid for closed loop packaging waste data.
Leave the following fields blank for CLR rows:
- packaging activity (packaging_activity)
- from country (from_country)
- to country (to_country)
- recyclability assessment rating (ram_rag_rating)
If your file does not meet these requirements, it will not be accepted and you’ll receive an error in your validation report.
When you must report your closed loop data
| Reporting period | Deadline |
|---|---|
| January to June 2024 | 28 January 2026 |
| July to December 2024 | 28 January 2026 |
| January to June 2025 | 1 April 2026 |
| July to December 2025 | 1 October 2026 |
Evidence you must supply
You must supply evidence that all the conditions that apply to closed loop packaging waste have been met. You must get this evidence from an accredited reprocessor or exporter.
For example, you could obtain written confirmation from your reprocessor that outlines what percentage of material collected and sent to them was actually recycled. The reprocessor would have to show how they determined this value. You’d also need a documented process for validating the reprocessor’s figures.
What you’ll pay to offset your household packaging
You must pay a registration fee of £2,548 a year to submit closed loop packaging waste data.
To submit 2024 and 2025 data, producers should have paid a single combined fee of £2,548 by 28 January 2026.
To submit 2026 data, producers should also have paid a further £2,548 by 28 January 2026.
For 2027 data onwards, register through your organisation details CSV as part of your large producer registration. You pay the £2,548 registration fee at the point of registration. If you remove your closed loop registration from your organisation details file, the fee will also be removed.
For each year after that, you’ll pay in October for data that is due to be submitted the following October.
You cannot submit closed loop packaging waste data if you have not registered and paid the registration fee.
For 2024 and 2025 data, email your regulator for advice on how to pay:
- the Environment Agency (England): packagingproducers@environment-agency.gov.uk
- Natural Resources Wales: packaging@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk
- the Northern Ireland Environment Agency: packaging@daera-ni.gov.uk
- the Scottish Environment Protection Agency: producer.responsibility@sepa.org.uk
Include your organisation number in the email. You’ll get this number when you create your account to report packaging data.
Starting with your 2027 registration, you pay fees through the ’Report packaging data’ service as part of your large producer registration. You do not need to contact your regulator to pay.
Updates to this page
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Updated the page title, process of registering for closed loop packaging waste, registration fee and registration deadlines.
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The regulations are now in force - the call out explaining they are passing through Parliament has been removed.
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A note to say that these regulations have not yet passed Parliament, but should come into force 1 January 2026
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First published.