Packaging That Reduces Your UK EPR Fees

From April 2026, what you pay in EPR fees depends on how recyclable your packaging is. Mono-material and paper-based packaging is assessed more favourably under the government's Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) — which means lower fees.

We supply 300+ recyclable, lower-fee alternatives to plastic and composite packaging, and we'll help you work out which switches cut your costs the most.


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Kraft paper voidfill made with a PAPERtech machine
Paper padded mailing bag for small online orders
Custom printed adjustable size book wrap for packing multi size online orders

Read our Guide to EPR Packaging    Find out the Benefits of EPR Packaging    Explore EPR Packaging Solutions    Read our Guide to PPWR for UK sellers shipping to the EU

What is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging?

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a UK government policy that makes businesses financially responsible for the packaging they place on the market — including the cost of collecting, sorting, and recycling it at end of life. Under the UK EPR scheme, producers, importers, and sellers of packaged goods are required to register, report their packaging data, and pay fees based on the type and weight of packaging they supply.

EPR for packaging came into effect in 2023 for data reporting, with financial payments for larger producers beginning in 2025. The scheme applies to businesses that supply packaged goods in the UK and meet certain turnover and packaging volume thresholds.

Does EPR Apply to Your Business?

You are likely affected by UK EPR packaging regulations if your business:

  • Supplies packaged goods to UK consumers or businesses
  • Has an annual turnover of £1 million or more
  • Is responsible for more than 25 tonnes of packaging per year

Smaller businesses below these thresholds may still need to register and report data even if they don't pay fees. If you're unsure whether EPR applies to your business, the GOV.UK guidance or your packaging supplier can help you assess your obligations.

How EPR Affects Your Packaging Choices

EPR fees are calculated based on the type of packaging material and whether it is recyclable. Packaging that is harder to recycle — such as composite materials, multi-layer films, and certain plastics — attracts higher fees. Switching to recyclable, reusable, or recycled-content packaging can directly reduce your EPR fee obligations.

This makes the choice of packaging supplier and packaging specification a financial decision as well as an environmental one. Businesses that act now to review their packaging and switch to more recyclable materials will benefit from lower EPR fees as the scheme matures.

How Datec Can Help

As an FSC® certified, 97% carbon neutral packaging supplier, Datec Packaging is well placed to help UK businesses transition to EPR-compliant packaging. Our eco-friendly range covers recyclable, biodegradable, and plastic-free alternatives across every packaging category — boxes, void fill, mailers, tape, bags, and more.

We can help you identify the most recyclable alternatives to your current packaging, reducing both your environmental impact and your EPR fee liability. Call 02476 611234 to speak to our team about your packaging review, or browse our eco-friendly packaging range below.

97%
of the way to Carbon Neutral
300+
Eco Alternative Products
90%+
Products Contain Recycled Materials

Our customers rely on us for packaging that reduces the cost of EPR.

Here's some popular solutions they enjoy:

Mono-material Paper Bubble Mailers

Our paper mailing bags are built as a single paper component, with a polyethylene adhesive strip that sits below the RAM adhesive threshold (3% for PE). That means the bag is assessed under Paper and Board guidance rather than as a paper-and-plastic composite — and paper is both a lower-fee material category and widely collected for kerbside recycling. A conventional bubble-lined mailer bonds paper or plastic to a plastic bubble layer that can't be separated by hand, so it's assessed as a composite and can't reach those lower paper fees. Switching is one of the clearest ways to cut the EPR cost of your mailers.

EPR fees are charged per tonne, so the less film you place on the market, the less you pay. Thinner-but-stronger stretch film holds loads securely with less plastic by weight, reducing both your material use and your per-tonne fee exposure. (This is a weight-reduction saving rather than a recyclability one — it lowers the tonnage you're charged on.)

Paper bubble wrap protects fragile items while keeping your outer packaging mono-material. Swapping plastic bubble wrap for paper takes plastic out of your supply chain and moves that weight into the lower-fee, widely recycled paper category.

Paper void fill replaces plastic air pillows and polystyrene with a single, widely recyclable paper stream. Because it's paper rather than plastic, it falls into a lower-fee material category, and it goes in the same kerbside recycling as the box around it — no separation, no mixed-material penalty.

Plastic tape is a small feature that can pull an otherwise-recyclable cardboard box into a worse recyclability rating. Paper tape — including water-activated gummed tape — can be recycled along with the box, so the whole parcel stays a single paper stream. It's a low-cost change that protects the rating (and the fee) of everything you ship in cardboard.

Why You Need to Talk to Us about EPR Packaging

Unlock the door to personalized EPR packaging solutions by filling in our contact form! Let's collaborate to elevate your brand with top-tier EPR packaging. Seamlessly align your sustainability goals while enhancing product appeal. 

We're eager to understand your unique EPR requirements and design a packaging solution that resonates. Don't miss this opportunity to revolutionize your epr packaging strategy. Just fill in this contact form and take the first step towards packaging excellence. Our team will be in touch to get to work on creating you a solution that reduces your EPR burden.

Your success story begins with a simple click – let's shape the future of packaging together!

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How EPR fees work in 2026

EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) makes the businesses that place packaging on the UK market pay the full cost of dealing with it as household waste. The scheme is run by PackUK, and it changed significantly in 2026.

In the first year (2025/26), every producer paid a flat "base fee" per tonne for each material, regardless of how recyclable it was. From the 2026/27 year, fees are modulated — adjusted up or down based on recyclability, measured by the Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM).

Two things now drive what you pay:

The material category. Each material has its own base (amber) fee per tonne. Paper and card sit well below plastic and fibre-based composite. As an illustration, the Year 2 amber fees put fibre-based composite at the top of the range and plastic close behind, while paper and card are charged at a substantially lower rate per tonne. Moving weight out of plastic and composite and into paper lowers the rate you're charged before recyclability is even considered.

The recyclability rating. Each packaging component is rated red, amber or green under RAM. Amber is the base rate. Red-rated (harder-to-recycle) packaging pays a multiplier on top — 1.2× in 2026/27, rising to 1.6× in 2027/28 and 2.0× in 2028/29. Green-rated (widely recyclable) packaging receives a discount, currently around 9% below the amber rate.

The effect compounds. A bonded bubble mailer can land in a higher-fee material category and attract a red multiplier. A mono-material paper bag sits in a lower-fee category and can earn the green discount. That combined gap is what makes switching worthwhile — and because the red multiplier rises each year, the gap widens over time.

Figures are illustrative and based on PackUK's published Year 2 fees; final Year 2 fees are confirmed in June 2026. We keep this page updated as fees are confirmed.

What RAM rates well (and badly)

RAM assesses each packaging component through whether it can be collected, sorted, reprocessed and turned back into something useful within real UK recycling infrastructure. A few practical rules fall out of it:

Mono-material wins. Packaging made of one material is straightforward to recycle and rates better. Multi-material constructions that can't be separated by hand are assessed together as a composite — usually the worse outcome.

Hand-separability is the dividing line. If two components can be pulled apart by hand, they're assessed separately and each can earn its own rating. If they can only be separated by machine or tools, they're assessed as one unit. This is exactly why a bonded bubble mailer rates poorly while a genuinely separable design can do better.

Small features can cost you. Plastic tape on a cardboard box, plastic windows, full-sleeve labels in the wrong material, and similar additions can drag an otherwise-recyclable pack into a worse rating.

Adhesives have thresholds. A small amount of adhesive doesn't disqualify paper packaging — for example, the limit for polyethylene adhesive is 3%. Our paper mailing bags sit below that, so the seal doesn't change how the bag is assessed.

Colour and detectability matter for plastics. Black plastic can't be detected by standard sorting equipment, so it rates badly regardless of the polymer.

The takeaway for buyers: simplify to one material wherever you can, keep added features in compatible materials, and choose formats that are widely collected at kerbside.

Switches that lower your fees

Practical, lower-fee swaps we can supply:

  • Bubble-lined mailers → mono-material paper mailing bags. Moves your mailers out of composite/plastic and into the lower-fee, widely recycled paper category.
  • Plastic bubble wrap & air pillows → paper bubble wrap & paper void fill. Same protection, single paper stream, lower-fee category.
  • Plastic tape → paper or gummed paper tape. Protects the recyclability rating of every cardboard box you ship.
  • Oversized boxes → right-sized boxes. Less material per parcel means less tonnage charged. Fees are per tonne, so cutting weight cuts cost directly.
  • Standard stretch film → thinner, stronger film. Less plastic by weight on every pallet.
  • Multi-material retail packaging → mono-material paper bags and wrapping.

Not sure which of your lines are costing you most? Our team can review your current packaging and point you to the switches with the biggest fee impact.

EPR packaging FAQs

Do I have to pay EPR fees? Larger producers (broadly, £2m+ turnover and more than 50 tonnes of packaging a year) pay disposal fees; smaller producers have lighter obligations but still report. Whether you're the obligated party depends on your role in the supply chain — if you're unsure, talk to a compliance scheme or to us.

Are bubble mailers recyclable in the UK? A bonded bubble mailer combines paper or plastic with a plastic bubble layer that can't be separated by hand, so under RAM it's assessed as a composite — which rates worse and costs more than a single-material alternative. A mono-material paper mailing bag avoids that problem entirely.

Do bubble mailers count as plastic for EPR? A bubble mailer is assessed on its construction. If it's a non-separable paper-plus-plastic build, it's treated as a fibre-based composite (the highest-fee category) or a plastic item, depending on composition — not as plain paper. That's why the fee is higher than for a paper bag.

Will switching to paper guarantee a green rating? Not automatically — the full rating depends on collection, sorting and reprocessing as well as material. But paper is widely collected at kerbside and sits in a lower-fee category, so well-designed paper packaging is well placed for the green discount. We can point you to a RAM assessment if you need a documented rating.

Does "biodegradable" lower my EPR fee? No. RAM rewards recyclability and real-world kerbside collection, not biodegradability or compostability. We focus on recyclable, widely collected materials because those are what reduce fees.

How much could I actually save? It depends on your volumes, materials and ratings. Use our estimator for a ballpark, or send us your current packaging and we'll model it properly.

Explore the full EPR packaging range

Every product below is chosen to help lower your EPR fees — by switching to a lower-fee material category, cutting weight, or keeping packaging a single recyclable stream. Use the links below to go straight to a product family:

Not sure where the biggest saving is? Send us your current packaging and we'll model it.