DEFRA have announced a temporary delay in the introduction of mandatory packaging labelling requirements in the UK. Official announcement below. This supersedes our previous announcement regarding packaging labelling, and we will continue to monitor for updates as they become available in 2025.
Please note that DEFRA intend releasing a number of implementing statutory instruments to the Extended Producer Responsibility throughout 2025:
Good afternoon
We want to provide you with an update on the legislation for the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging reforms. This legislation is on track to come into force in January 2025 as planned.
In the process of finalising this legislation we have taken a decision relating to the proposed provisions on labelling.
We have removed the provisions from the SI that relate to the introduction of mandatory labelling. However, this is a temporary position. The UK Governments (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) remain committed to a mandatory labelling regime to make it easier for consumers to understand how to recycle packaging correctly, and ultimately for the scheme to deliver its environmental outcomes.
We will include mandatory labelling across the UK – likely via an amendment to our forthcoming legislation in 2025 – and our approach is likely to be consistent across all nations of the UK. In preparing these provisions, we will review the forthcoming EU packaging legislation and explore the potential for consistency across our approaches. We will seek to minimise the costs and complexity of the arrangements for those businesses trading across all these markets, while protecting our commitment to the importance of labelling as part of the overall objectives of these reforms.
In parallel, we will continue to pursue work to ensure citizens across the UK understand how to recycle their waste to best effect. Clarity and communication to citizens is a key part of delivering the Collection & Packaging Reforms overall.
Please do cascade this information to your members.
We will keep you informed about the labelling requirements through the Resources and Waste forums and newsletter. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email us
