EXPRA is pleased to welcome UK Packaging PRO as a new member of the Alliance, following its appointment by PackUK as the Producer Responsibility Organisation for the United Kingdom’s packaging Extended Producer Responsibility scheme.
The appointment represents an important milestone for the UK. After years of discussion on how packaging EPR should be implemented, the country is moving towards a system designed to place producers at the heart of delivery, while strengthening recycling performance, supporting local authorities and encouraging more circular packaging choices.
UK Packaging PRO has been established as a producer-led, not-for-profit organisation, bringing together businesses and organisations from across the packaging value chain. Its role will be introduced gradually, working alongside PackUK, the four UK governments, local authorities, waste and recycling operators and obligated producers.
For EXPRA, this development is particularly significant because it reflects core principles that have proven effective in EPR systems across Europe: clear producer responsibility, transparent governance, industry involvement, stable financing and a direct connection between packaging design, collection, sorting and recycling.
Karen Graley, Head of UK Packaging PRO, said: “Joining EXPRA is an important move for us. After years of debate on how to implement EPR effectively in the UK, we now have a system designed to be transparent, efficient, and producer-led. Through EXPRA, we will exchange knowledge, share best practices, and learn from international experience to ensure that UK EPR operates closer to the genuine non-profit model proven across Europe.”
EXPRA Managing Director Joachim Quoden welcomed the new member: “We are delighted to have UK Packaging PRO join EXPRA. Its producer-led, non-profit approach reflects the true principles of Extended Producer Responsibility. With UK Packaging PRO in the network, we can support the development of a robust and sustainable UK EPR system and promote industry-led, non-profit approaches across Europe.”
UK Packaging PRO joins EXPRA at a time when the Alliance brings together 38 Producer Responsibility Organisations from 35 countries. Its participation will strengthen the exchange of operational experience between the UK and established EPR systems internationally, helping to ensure that the UK’s new framework is both ambitious and workable in practice.