The UK government has announced changes aimed at reducing packaging costs for pubs, restaurants and hospitality businesses, according to a Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs press release. From April 2027, glass drinks containers sold directly from producers to licensed hospitality venues will no longer be liable for Extended Producer Responsibility fees, removing what the government describes as double charging for recycling the same packaging.

The government estimates savings of up to 6p per beer bottle and 10p per wine bottle, which it says could reach up to £870 a year for a pub selling 10,000 beer bottles and 3,700 wine bottles. Businesses will also be consulted on packaging waste fees, with the aim of making easy-to-recycle materials such as glass and paper cheaper and harder-to-recycle plastics more expensive. The government says this could reduce fees for the most recyclable packaging by up to 40% per year.

Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said the changes respond to industry concerns. Industry bodies, including British Glass and the British Beer and Pub Association, welcomed the direction while calling for further work on the system's long-term costs. Separately, the independent Trade Remedies Authority is conducting two investigations into glass container imports, covering Chinese-origin and Turkish-origin goods; a provisional anti-dumping measure on Chinese imports was imposed on 9 September.