Call in the UK to be the Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) of the EPR scheme for packaging

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), together with PackUK, has opened the call for interested organizations to apply as PRO, an independent, non-profit entity that will administer the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging in the United Kingdom.

The PRO will be responsible for:

• Calculating and adjusting the fees to be paid by producers.
• Applying the Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM).
• Modeling costs for local authorities.
• Managing communications and dissemination of public information.
• Improving the efficiency of local authority operations.

Deadline and requirements to apply

• Only independent, private, non-profit organizations may apply.
• Applications will be open until 5:00 PM on Friday, December 12, 2025.
• To obtain the application documents, you must write to EPRCustomerService@defra.gov.uk.
• The completed form must be sent to the same email before the deadline.

Evaluation of applications
Applications will be reviewed considering:

• The organization’s ability to fulfill the responsibilities of the PRO.
• The support received from producers, their representatives and other interested parties.

The results of the evaluation will be scored using a standardized system and will serve as the basis for the recommendation to the ministers of the Four Nations of the United Kingdom on the designation of the PRO. The designation is scheduled for March 2026.