A Labour MP has urged the government to put the new packaging tax on hold.
Rotherham representative Sarah Champion told a parliamentary debate last week that extended producer responsibility (EPR) should not come into force until October 2027.
The controversial initiative is already in place, with obligated businesses having to pay a levy per tonne of packaging placed on the market since 1 January this year.
But Champion told MPs this month that the scheme appeared to be “deliberately stacked against the [glass] sector”.
She added that “because fees are calculated by weight, not volume… glass, as a relatively heavy material, suffers unfairly”.
Champion said circular economy minister Mary Creagh “should pause the scheme, listen to and act on the concerns and bring the whole scheme into force in October 2027”.
Creagh said at the debate: “The EPR fees for glass are lower than those for aluminium and plastic. Because glass packaging is heavier, it costs more to handle per unit than some other materials.
“Weight is a driving factor in waste management and it is the most common basis used to determine costs for public and private sector collection; that is why it is central to our approach. But the scheme relies on all producers paying their fair share.”
