London Packaging Week live: Industry can plug gap on UK EPR leadership, says Ecosurety

21 Sep 2023 --- Today at London Packaging Week, Nigel Ransom, head of procurement at Ecosurety, shares insights into the UK’s upcoming EPR laws. As a B Corp-certified producer responsibility compliance scheme, Ecosurety aims to assist businesses, brands and retailers to achieve packaging compliance.

Speaking to Packaging Insights on the show floor, Ransom highlights the significance of EPR laws despite the recent delays, stating: “Although it’s gone down the road, EPR is not going away.”

He emphasizes the importance of proactive steps for businesses to offset potential future costs related to EPR compliance, including preparing for changes in the waste industry and managing packaging disposal effectively.

“The data is still important – it will help frame and set what the government can and can’t do going forward,” says Ransom.

“It will also set the scene for some of the costs about what should be street collection versus household collection and how things might work. The data will provide a lot of insight and understanding about what’s going on in the waste industry in the UK and what happens to our packaging once we dispose of it.”

We spoke to Nigel Ransom, head of procurement at Ecosurety, at London Packaging Week.EPR delays and industry frustration
Shortly after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak began discussing potential delays to EPR, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs announced an extension to data submission deadlines for the scheme’s enforcement earlier this month. 

Fears over the cost of living crisis in the UK, and with a general election coming up next year, mean a risk of early implementation could seriously impact the country, reasoned the government. 

On Sunak’s recent announcements and their impact on the packaging industry, Ransom expresses dismay but remains positive. “It’s disappointing that some of the things the government was planning to do are being pushed back,” he says. 

“But it does allow the industry to come together now and start to set the scene if the regulator weren’t regulated. If the government doesn’t want to provide that oversight and leadership, it provides an opportunity for industry to fill that gap.” 

“After all, the industry is quite frustrated by this. They are ready – they got themselves ready to do this. And now it’s gone down the road again. There’s an opportunity for us to all come together and provide that leadership which seems to be absent at the moment.”

Trade show opportunities
The head of procurement stresses that with London Packaging Week coinciding with these policy developments, the trade show offers an opportunity for industry professionals to come together, share their views and collectively contribute to enhancing recycling efforts in the UK.

As the week unfolds, industry participants will engage in discussions about the way forward and potential actions to support recycling and wider environmental goals.

Packaging Insights will continue to report on the key developments at London Packaging Week.

By Radhika Sikaria, with reporting from Louis Gore-Langton at London Packaging Week