EPR online packaging methodology guidance and Q&As

Online packaging methodology guidance published 

A guide to documenting how packaging data, known as ‘methodology’, is collected has been published on Gov.uk.

Online marketplaces affected by Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging must submit a ‘methodology’ to the environmental regulator to show your data accurately represents the variety and amount of packaging you’re responsible for.

Each organisation is different; therefore, the guidance we’ve published is not prescriptive but does indicate what could be included.

Questions and answers on this topic from the last BRF are as follows:

Question: How should trade associations who work on EPR policy and reporting topics access the guidance. We don't have a login to National Packaging Waste Database (NPWD)? 

Answer: This guidance has been added to the public area of National Packaging Waste Database NPWD, therefore you do not need a log in to access it. Follow this link to access the agreed positions guidance.  

The online packaging methodologies guidance is available on Gov.uk.   

Question: Am I correct in thinking that an online marketplace includes selling through our own website as well as through an external website like Amazon? 

Answer: Yes. Online marketplaces are a new type of producer within EPR, and it extends to packaging that is sold through your online marketplace from someone outside the UK into the UK.  

For example, you have an online marketplace and you've got businesses outside of the UK selling onto the UK market via your marketplace. You should report the associated packaging as an ‘online marketplace’ packaging.  

If you're also a brand owner in the UK and you're selling branded products through your website, then you would be reporting this packaging as the brand owner. 

If there are UK businesses using your online marketplace (website) selling their own branded products through your website, but they're based in the UK, they would be reporting the associated packaging as the brand owner. You wouldn't be reporting that as the online marketplace. It's just for packaging coming from outside the UK through your online marketplace into UK.  

Again, if Amazon, is the online marketplace, they would only be reporting things from outside the UK and into the UK, so if you are selling your own products through Amazon and you're the brand owner of that product, then you'll be reporting that as the brand owner. Amazon wouldn't be reporting anything that is UK supplied because they would be captured by either another producer type e.g., pack filler or brand owner.