Packaging
We are always keen to hear from organisations which recycle and recover packaging waste, either in the UK or overseas.
If you recycle and recover UK packaging waste, or export UK packaging waste for recycling and recovery overseas and wish to issue Packaging Recovery Notes (ePRNs) or Packaging Export Recovery Notes (ePERNs) to packaging producers or compliance schemes you must be an accredited reprocessor or accredited exporter.
You can apply to be an accredited reprocessor if you reprocess packaging waste into a new product or material, that is of beneficial use and requires no further processing, or where the end of waste test is met. You can apply to be an accredited exporter where the overseas site you send packaging waste to undertakes this.
Reprocessors and exporters wishing to become accredited must apply to the relevant environment agency. Applications must be submitted by 30 September for accreditation to begin on the following 1 January. Accreditation lasts for a maximum of one year and will always end on December 31st. Reprocessors must apply for a separate accreditation for each site at which packaging waste is reprocessed, although a single accreditation can cover multiple materials. Exporters can submit a single application for approval of multiple overseas reprocessing sites and for multiple materials. They can also apply to add additional sites at any time. Where the treatment site is located outside the EU, evidence is required that the treatment achieves equivalent standards to that which is required in the EU, which is known as “broadly equivalent”.
We expect our packaging waste reprocessor partners to have achieve high standards of environmental protection and compliance and to utilise their ePRN / ePERN monies effectively to increase recycling. In return we offer guaranteed purchase of ePRNs / ePERNs through both market indexed and contracted prices and favourable payment terms.
