Compliance schemes

Compliance schemes are third-party organisations that help producers meet EPR for packaging duties. GOV.UK says they can:

• register you on the report packaging data service;
• pay your registration fee on your behalf;
• report your packaging data;
• for large producers, meet the recycling obligation (but they cannot pay waste disposal fees).

Check the official register first

Defra publishes a register of compliance schemes (the 2026 register was added on 6 March 2026, as a spreadsheet). GOV.UK advises checking that any scheme you use appears on this register.

Questions to ask a scheme

• What is your total annual fee for a small producer, including the regulator's registration fee?
• What data do you need from us, in what format, and by when?
• Do you check our data or just upload it? Who is liable for errors?
• What happens, and what does it cost, if we need to resubmit?
• Do you cover all four UK nations' regulators?
• What is the minimum contract term and notice period?

Going direct vs using a scheme

Registering directly is cheaper in regulator fees only if you don't need help; the scheme route has a lower regulator fee but adds the scheme's charges. A small producer with simple packaging and good records may manage directly; one with complex imports or many product lines may value a scheme.

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