UK Packaging EPR: PackUK Plans November Fee Notices for 2026–27

PackUK's operational plan for 2026 to 2027 targets the end of November 2026 for issuing initial notices of liability under the UK's extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging. For importers and brand owners buying rigid plastic packaging, it is a useful moment to check whether their packaging records describe the pack they actually place on the market.

What PackUK has announced

The scheme administrator says it intends to use verified producer data in its November fee calculations. The green, amber and red rates published in December 2025 for the second assessment year were illustrative. The operational plan is not a notice of liability for an individual business, and an indicative rate is not a confirmed invoice. Producers should check their current notice and guidance before budgeting or filing.

Under the scheme, the relevant reporting and payment obligations depend on the business's role and the packaging it supplies. Buying a plastic pail or importing a consignment is not, by itself, enough information to determine a particular company's liability.

What rigid packaging buyers can do now

A quotation that says only "5L PP bucket" is a weak starting point for packaging data. It identifies nominal capacity and a polymer family, but not the complete component configuration. A packaging data sheet should make it possible to reconcile a commercial SKU with an actual pack that has been weighed and documented.

• Break down the pack: list the bucket body, lid, handle, label, liner and other parts actually supplied, distinguishing the empty pack from the filled product.
• Record actual weights: request component weights, the weighing basis and any allowed variation. Keep carton or pallet information separate from the retail pack.
• Specify the decoration: record the label construction and size or the print method and coverage. Do not assume a plain sample and a decorated production SKU have identical assessment outcomes.
• Control revisions: attach a drawing, sample or artwork version to each record. Revisit the data when the lid, handle, material or label changes.

Use supplier information without outsourcing the assessment

Ask your packaging supplier for facts about the supplied components, not a generic promise that the pack qualifies for a lower fee. Your UK team should determine the reporting category and assess the actual configuration under the applicable guidance. For forecasting, keep the assumed rate, tonnage and calculation date visible so the estimate can be updated without rebuilding the underlying SKU file.

For a specification discussion, compare our 5L custom-printed food bucket with our square PP food bucket range. These listings are starting points for sample selection, not UK recyclability ratings or fee classifications.

Source: PackUK, Operational Plan 2026 to 2027, section on notices of liability and disposal fee calculations. The November timing is a stated plan.

For a model-specific quotation, contact JM Bucket with your destination market, component requirements and artwork version.

Cover image: AI-generated illustration, not a photograph of the event, facility or products reported.