The Vending & Automated Retail Association (AVA) Environment committee has updated the AVA guidance document which provides a summary of changes to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme and the impact on vending businesses.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) announced a delay in the introduction of EPR system places cost obligations upon packaging producers in a bid to reduce ‘excessive’ packaging, and was due to fully open in just a few months time.
There have been extensive discussions between Government and industry over recent months, with calls for a delay and re-think of the design of the scheme growing. Defra announced last month that that whilst the existing requirement for data collection by those eligible will continue, the remainder of the obligations, including payments, will be delayed for a period which, with elections potentially looming, could be as much as 2 years.
It says: ”Following extensive engagement with industry, and in light of the pressure facing consumers and businesses in the current economic context, new rules to ensure packaging producers pay for the cost of recycling their packaging will be deferred a year from October 2024 to 2025.” Defra’s EPR Guidance page has been updated to reflect these changes.
Although EPR data reporting, as currently defined, would have little administrative impact on operator members, the cost impact on suppliers could be huge – which would be bound to be reflected in ongoing pricing. Currently the declared intent is to continue with the drive towards mandatory cup takeback and the implementation of a Deposit Return Scheme across the UK.
The Vending & Automated Retail Association (AVA) Environment committee has updated the AVA guidance document which provides a summary of these changes: the cost impact it could have for your business and steps you can take to manage these changes. This can be found in the member’s area of the AVA website HERE.
