Should you be reporting your Waste Packaging Usage for 2019?

As 2020 kicks into action, it’s time to take stock of all the packaging you used in 2019… it can be a daunting task to totalise everything used throughout the year.

The environment has really made it to the top of everyone’s agenda this year, with unprecedented engagement from companies of all sizes and industry types. This year will see a huge focus on material waste reduction and it’s a great platform in helping you define and achieve your carbon reduction programme.

The waste packaging regulations were first introduced in 1997 to control the amount of packaging waste produced by UK businesses.

If your company produces, uses or sells packaging products you might be legally required to report your packaging usage under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations.

If you are not legally obliged to submit them, it’s always a good idea to have a handle on your packaging use with a view to identifying how you can reduce the volume of packaging you use.

Who is legally obliged to report their packaging waste?

Any company (or a group of companies) that handles 50 tonnes or more of packaging or packaging materials in a calendar year and has a turnover of over £2 million based on last year’s accounts.

What you should do if you’re affected

If you are obliged to report your packaging waste, you must register as a packaging producer (or be registered with your environmental regulator) by 7th April each year. You will have to show you meet your recovery and recycling obligations and obtain evidence of compliance.

You will then have to submit your certificate of compliance by 31st January the following year.

How Macfarlane Packaging can help you identify your usage

If you bought packaging from us in 2019, our sales teams can supply you with a packaging report for those products electronically or you can request a hard copy if you prefer. The information is broken down by purchase month, material composition and weight.

Customers signed up to Simplicit.e are able to run their own reports, allowing them to track usage, weight and composition of all packaging products purchased from us at the click of a button.

How Macfarlane can help you reduce your carbon footprint

We can help you identify opportunities to reduce the amount of single use plastics, reduce your overall packaging usage, switch to sustainable packaging solutions, reduce damages and returns and reduce pack size to increase the amount of products you can fit onto delivery vehicles. Each of these areas can reduce your carbon footprint and combined, they can be a real game changer for your operation.

To obtain your waste packaging report, or find out more about our carbon footprint reduction services, get in touch.