The boss of the successful industry bid selected to run large elements of the government’s extended producer responsibility packaging tax has called for all sides of the industry to come together to make the strategy work, following a chaotic first six months.
Karen Graley, head of UK Packaging PRO, spoke to The Grocer after its bid to become the new Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) was this week declared a success by PackUK. It represents bodies including the FDF, the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (Incpen) and more than 100 retailer and manufacturer organisations.
UK Packaging PRO defeated rival bids from others including one led by Valpak, whose ‘PackFlow’ data calculations have been widely regarded as the “gold standard” in the industry.
Another bid representing dozens of packaging schemes had also been in the running.
Sources told The Grocer it was vital that the new PRO quickly acted to bring unity among different groups to tackle the key challenges facing the scheme.
“It’s vital that the PRO is aware if the vast range of different producers that are concerned with and facing issues with EPR,” said one source.
“Whilst the successful bid is dominated, in terms of scale, by large food and drink suppliers and retailers, it needs to account for the interests of all those involved and do it in a way that’s transparent.”
Graley told The Grocer: “From the outset, UK Packaging PRO has been clear that delivering a successful packaging EPR system will only work if the whole sector moves forward together.
“We are very proud to represent industry in the scheme and take it into the next phase, but every organisation across the supply chain brings valuable experience to the table. We absolutely want to harness that.
“This is a once‑in‑a‑generation chance to build a system that works better for people, the planet, and producers, and that means drawing on the strengths of the entire packaging value chain. In the months ahead, we’ll be creating structured opportunities for stakeholders to engage, whether through advisory groups, technical input or collaborative pilots, so that the system benefits from the full breadth of industry expertise.”
UK Packaging PRO said it was determined to work closely with PackUK, the government and local authorities to improve recycling rates, as well as help lead industry efforts to improve and reduce packaging and support better recycling across all four nations.
Last year, PackUK and Defra said they were determined to “get out of the way” and let the industry run EPR. In recent weeks, though, they have been keen to stress that the handover of responsibility will be gradual and take place across “multiple years”.
John Redmayne, CEO at ERP UK, who was part of the packaging scheme’s unsuccessful bid, said: “To be effective, the scheme must ensure packaging producers clearly understand their role and reflect the practical realities across different sectors and supply chains.
“Engagement, consistency and transparency with producers, local authorities and households will be critical both to building confidence and driving meaningful increases in recycling performance.”
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