EPR: UK Packaging PRO Expression of Interest
An update on the appointment process for appointing a Producer Responsibility Organisation for the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme for the UK
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In October 2024 Ministers of all four UK nations jointly confirmed plans to appoint a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO). The PRO would be enabled to carry out major functions currently delivered by Pack UK, which is the scheme administrator for extended producer responsibility for the UK.
In May 2025 the four governments supported by Pack UK opened an Expression of Interest phase as the first stage in the process to appoint the PRO. Expressions of Interest needed to be submitted by 10 June 2025. Potential candidates would hear by 24 June whether they would go forward into the next stage over summer 2025 involving detailed discussions with the four governments and Pack UK.
The appointment of the PRO in 2025/26 is a key step in realising the ambitious goals of all four governments, Pack UK and the regulators to achieve a UK-wide packaging circular economy.
What is happening over summer 2025?
The Expression of Interest led by the PRO SteerCo and facilitated by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN) is now shared openly. This follows confirmation on 23 June 2025 from DEFRA on behalf of the four UK governments that our Expression of Interest is going forward to the summer phase of engagement. Quality engagement will assist the four governments and Pack UK determine the final specifications for the formal bidding phase for the PRO in autumn/winter 2025.
In submitting our Expression of Interest we take seriously our responsibilities to bring together an extensive coalition across the packaging value chain that provides confidence to the governments and Pack UK of the collective desire to deliver an ambitious circular economy for packaging through the PRO.
Our engagement has already started and we will be building on that over the summer. There are many sectors, and many thousands of organisations and colleagues. All are important in their own right because they have key roles in delivery of the governments’ packaging reforms embracing packaging extended producer responsibility, collections and recycling of household packaging, and onward reprocessing of recyclates for use as recycled content in new packaging.
Our goal is to ensure the four governments and Pack UK have confidence in appointing a PRO that anchors its delivery on the best circular economy packaging systems, improved performance across sectors, high value for money and focused on environmental, economic and social outcomes across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
What was in our Expression of Interest?
Scroll down to view below. Please note: we are publishing our full Expression of Interest. However, owing to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) we are not in a position to publish personal details contained in associated Appendices referred to in our EoI.