Glass packaging fee changes to end double charging for pubs from April 2027

The Government has announced changes to packaging waste charges that it says will back the British glass industry and cut what it calls unfair double charging for pubs and other hospitality businesses.

From April 2027, glass drinks containers sold directly from producers to pubs, restaurants and other licensed venues will no longer be liable for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees. The Government says this will save up to 6p per beer bottle and 10p per wine bottle. For a pub selling 10,000 beer bottles and 3,700 wine bottles, that comes to as much as £870 a year.

Businesses will also be consulted on the fees they pay for packaging waste. The aim is for easy-to-recycle materials such as glass and paper to cost less, and for hard-to-recycle packaging, including some plastics, to cost more. The Government says this could cut fees for the most recyclable packaging by up to 40% per year.

PackUK will launch a call for evidence on the fees manufacturers pay for packaging waste in early 2027. A separate call for evidence on helping more businesses reuse packaging at greater scale is due to launch in December.

The Government says it remains committed to producers contributing to packaging waste costs, and that £1.4 billion has already been provided to councils through the scheme to improve recycling services.

The independent Trade Remedies Authority is running two investigations into glass container imports: a dumping investigation into Chinese-origin goods and a subsidy investigation into Turkish-origin goods. A provisional anti-dumping measure on Chinese imports was imposed on 9 September. Both investigations are continuing.

Industry bodies welcomed the move. A glass sector voice said the measures give confidence to UK manufacturers and help ensure highly recyclable materials are recognised in the system. A soft drinks representative called the end of double charging for direct supply a significant first step, and said it wants to work with Defra on a solution for indirect supply.

The beer and pub sector also welcomed the direction of travel, saying the changes could reduce cost pressures on brewers by tens of millions. It warned that the 12,000 publicans running leased and tenanted pubs as SMEs must be included, or over a quarter of Britain's pubs will not benefit equally.