Ellie Ames 25 July 2023

Councils call for urgent clarity after further EPR delay

Councils call for urgent clarity after further EPR delay image
Image: lovelyday12 / Shutterstock.com.

Local authority leaders have called for ‘clear, realistic timelines’ on waste policy after the Government announced a further delay to extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging.

Councils had been expecting to receive the first EPR payments in October 2024, but today the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced a one-year delay.

EPR would shift much of the financial responsibility for dealing with waste from councils to those producing it. In 2018, the Government announced its intention to introduce the policy.

Roll-out of the scheme, originally due in 2023, had already been pushed back.

Cllr Sarah Nelmes, DCN environment spokesperson, said the new delay would add to the uncertainty that was ‘hampering’ councils from making improvements in order to increase recycling rates.

The delay must not undermine the commitment, set out in the Environment Act, that those who produce waste should fund councils’ services, she added.

Cllr Nelmes said: ‘While councils are, of course, seeking to increase recycling rates, there has been far too little attention paid to reducing the overall amount of waste produced – and the incentives provided by EPR are an essential tool to bring this about.

‘If there is a silver lining on this latest delay, it does at least provide an opportunity to sort out some of the questions that remain over how EPR funding will be distributed in a way that is fair to all councils, whether in rural or urban settings.’

Cllr Darren Rodwell, environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association (LGA), said: 'The decision to delay the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is disappointing for councils. It means we lose crucial momentum on ambitions to clean up our environment, while council taxpayers continue to pay for dealing with unnecessary and unrecyclable waste.'

For more on the Government's waste reforms visit The MJ (£).

If you were interested in this article, then check out our feature, 'The recycling system is in need of an overhaul – so what’s the solution?'

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

HR Onboarding Officer (CDC)

City Of Doncaster Council
Grade 7, £27,259 - £29,955 (Pay award pending)
You have an opportunity to be part of a busy Human Resources team which offers HR support across the Council. Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Recuriter: City Of Doncaster Council

Purchase to Pay Administrator (Fixed Term) - WMF2122e

Westmorland and Furness Council
£25,584 - £25,992
We are looking for an Administrator to join our Purchase to Pay and Accounts Receivables team Cumbria / Various
Recuriter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Social Worker - WMF2123e

Westmorland and Furness Council
£41,511 - £42,708
We’re looking for passionate social workers to join our team in Kendal following a recent reshape of our services. Kendal, Cumbria
Recuriter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Environmental Health Officer

Wyre Borough Council
£38,626 - £41,511
We are looking to appoint a full time Environmental Health Officer within the Environmental Protection and Community Safety Department. Poulton-Le-Fylde, Lancashire
Recuriter: Wyre Borough Council

Trainee Graduate Accountant

Wyre Borough Council
£25,992 - £37,938
Are you looking to kickstart your career in Finance? Poulton-Le-Fylde, Lancashire
Recuriter: Wyre Borough Council
Linkedin Banner