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EDANA – The Voice of Nonwovens has joined several UK industry associations in urging the British government to review the cumulative financial and administrative burden of packaging regulations. The organisations warned that overlapping compliance requirements were increasing business costs, undermining competitiveness and potentially raising consumer prices without delivering corresponding environmental benefits.
The appeal was made in an open letter coordinated by the British Brands Group (BBG) and addressed to Financial Secretary to the Treasury James Murray, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Emma Hardy, and Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds.
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EDANA was represented among the signatories by its Public Affairs Director, Brieuc Lits. The association joined organisations representing packaging manufacturers, plastics, absorbent hygiene products, cosmetics, food and beverages, construction and other industries in calling for a more coordinated approach to packaging policy.
The letter raised concerns over the combined impact of Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR), Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT), Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs) and other emerging packaging requirements. Although the organisations acknowledged the importance of reducing packaging waste, improving recycling and increasing recycled material use, they argued that overlapping obligations had created a complex and costly compliance environment.
According to the letter, businesses were facing duplicative reporting requirements, inconsistent financial obligations and different compliance timelines. The administrative burden of managing these requirements could rival or even exceed the direct regulatory charges themselves.
The signatories also warned that the European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) would add further compliance challenges for businesses exporting to the EU or placing products on the Northern Ireland market.
Highlighting the financial implications, the letter cited a multinational company reporting that packaging-related costs in the UK were approximately twice those in comparable European countries, without a corresponding improvement in packaging recovery.
Smaller businesses were also struggling to invest in alternative packaging solutions because rising regulatory costs restricted their ability to employ specialist expertise. The associations warned that this could discourage packaging innovation rather than accelerate the transition to more sustainable materials. See more.
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Source: Online/NAN
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