A whopping 86% of the respondents confirmed that they are yet to establish their data collection processes entirely, despite the strengthening of the statutory instrument that has been titled Packaging Waste (Data Reporting) (England) Regulations 2023 that mandates the obligated producers across England to collect as well as report the information and the packaging type that has been placed on the market for March 2023.
This news comes as DEFRA opined that the Extended Producer Responsibility—EPR—happens to be on track to be delivered in 2024, however, that will remain in talks with the manufacturers as the final design of the scheme as well as the delivery plans are created.
The British Retail Consortium recently remarked that the EPR and the deposit return schemes put together would add almost £4 billion as far as retailer costs are concerned, which will anyway be passed down the line.
As growing concerns about inflationary pressures take place, 87% of the respondents are concerned about the financial impact on their businesses.
In addition, 85.7% of the businesses rated the government’s communication quality when it came to legislative changes to packaging regulations between 1 and 2 out of a scale of 10, where 10 rates as excellent and 1 as poor. Apparently, 100% of respondents rated it lower than 4.
Around three in ten businesses remarked that they do not currently collect data when it comes to packaging waste, whereas 28.6% resource the same internally, and almost the same proportion resources it internally by using external systems, with the remaining ones completely outsourcing the additional obligations. When it comes to the preparations for 2024, more than half of the businesses that were surveyed have yet to make plans, with the remainder being internally resourced, out of which 14.3% will rely on external software or systems.
The survey also found that 42.9% of the respondents rated themselves as unprepared but were aware of the changes with regard to general preparedness when it comes to forthcoming reforms. Apparently, 14.3% of the respondents admitted to being completely unprepared.
The chief strategy officer, Andrew McCaffery, said that many businesses face challenges pertaining to big data when it comes to understanding their compliance obligations for a particular geographic region. Although some nations look for limited or no data and financial contributions related to EPR, others often look for detailed data submissions, which means if someone doesn’t have the required data or isn’t precise enough, they may end up experiencing a substantial cost implication.
It is only fair to say that preparedness is prominently lacking for numerous reasons. That said, the direction of travel remains clear in spite of not being able to reach an overall understanding or consensus. The group advises to engage with peers, trade organizations, suppliers, and associations to make sure to hold live as well as precise specifications when it comes to packaging.
