The Packaging Waste Regulations work on the principle of Shared Producer Responsibility - encouraging producers to take responsibility for their environmental impact. The Regulations require obligated producers to pay a proportion of the cost of the recovery and recycling of their packaging. Valpak calculate your obligation for you, avoiding an administrative burden.

Once you know your obligation, you need to demonstrate that your company has paid for the recovery and recycling of the required amount of packaging. This is achieved through the Packaging Waste Recovery Note PRN system.

Under the Packaging Waste Regulations the packaging chain is divided into four activities each with a different percentage responsibility.

raw material manufacturer: 6%
Manufacturing of packaging raw materials. Example: Manufacturer of steel for baked beans cans.

converter: 9%
Manufacturing a recognised packaging item. Example: Manufacturer of the steel can for the baked beans.

packer/filler: 37%
Putting a product into packaging or applying packaging to a product. Example: The company which fills the can with baked beans.

seller: 48%
Supplying the packaging to the end user of that packaging. Example: The supermarket which sells the baked bean can to the consumer. or: Example: The wholesaler who sells boxed cans of beans would have the selling obligation on the boxes removed by the supermarket.

importer: rolled up obligation
Companies who directly import packaging, packed goods or packaging material are also obligated. The level of their obligation depends on the stage of the chain at which the packaging is brought into the UK.