Shape the future of packaging and waste

Defra are looking for businesses to join a digital panel to make sure they are developing services that help businesses like yours.

The team are looking for people who work in the packaging industry to get involved in research sessions to help improve systems, talk through existing challenges and share expertise on business requirements.

If you would like to get involved and help shape packaging and waste services, click the link below to get involved on the panel and one of the Defra team will get in contact with you directly.

https://defragroup.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_byGvZLurq3CMkGG

Definition of Hand-carriable is revised following consultation on amendments to the Government Guidance on the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009

Following consultation to amend the Government Guidance on the Waste Batteries Regulations 2009, Defra has agreed that the interpretation of ‘can be hand-carried by an average natural person without difficulty’ will be revised.

A portable battery must be capable of being hand-carried by the average person without difficulty. Currently a battery weighing less than 4kg will be classed as portable and a battery over 10kg will be classed as industrial. For batteries between these weights, the battery could be portable or industrial depending on the characteristics of the specific battery.  

This 4-10kg ‘grey area’ will be removed. Instead, any battery weighing 4kg or below will be portable, and any battery over 4kg will be industrial.

This change only applies to the interpretation of hand-carriability. A battery under 4kg may still be industrial if it is designed exclusively for industrial use.

This change will be implemented from 1^st January 2016.

Advisory Committee on Packaging

Please see the link on the left for details of the new Advisory Committee on Packaging.

The National Packaging Waste Database (NPWD) is a web-based database supported by the Environment Agency,  the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the Northern Ireland Environment Protection Agency,  the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills,  the Advisory Committee on Packaging, companies obligated by the packaging and battery regulations, reprocessors, exporters and compliance schemes.

NPWD Support – how to get further help

For business and regulatory queries call -

• In England and Wales: 03708 506 506
• In Scotland: 01786 457700 – Producer Compliance and Waste Shipments Unit
• In Northern Ireland: 028 9056 9338

For technical queries or questions on how to use NPWD and for reporting problems phone 03708 506506.

The Development of NPWD

NPWD has been rolled out in a number of phases. Phase one went live on 1 April 2006 and allowed the online submission of quarterly returns by reprocessors and exporters. Phase two went live on the 1 February 2007 and allowed compliance schemes and direct registrants to register with us online. A further major development was in September 2007 which allowed reprocessors and exporters to apply for accreditation online . In spring 2008 extra functionality on monitoring of free-riders was added. 

Significant investment took place during 2009 in order to add modules to support the new batteries regulatory regime.  This included an on-line payment link for small battery producers as well as registration and approval for those companies affected by the regulations. 

NPWD provides the following functionality:

·         on-line registration for producers registering directly with an agency

·         on-line registration for compliance schemes

·         on-line accreditation of packaging reprocessors and exporters

·         on-line approval of batteries treatment operators and exporters

·         issuing of 'Electronic Packaging Waste Recovery Notes' (ePRNs) and 'Electronic Packaging Waste Export Recovery Notes' (ePERNs)

·         issuing of batteries evidence notes

·         on-line submission of quarterly returns by schemes, treatment operators, reprocessors and exporters

·         electronic statements and certificates of compliance

·         compliance monitoring of producers, schemes, reprocessors and exporters by the Agencies

·         free-rider monitoring

·         public registers and reports.

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