See below for an update on how the General Election has impacted key Defra policies relevant to retail.

For any questions, please get in touch with tom.mccarthy@brc.org.uk. 

Forest Risk Commodities

  • We will provide updates after the election.

 

Not For EU Labelling

  • As you’ll be aware, we did not lay the Marking of Retail Goods Regulations in Parliament before its dissolution. We are continuing to assess feedback from the consultation and consider next steps for implementing the policy.  Following the election, we will discuss the approach and requirement for legislation with new ministers, and will issue an update in due course.

 

Resources & Waste

  • We continue to prepare for the implementation of our Collection and Packaging Reforms programme which includes Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging, the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), Simpler Recycling (SR) and Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) to previously communicated timescales.
  • EPR for packaging is underway and producers should continue to enrol and submit their packaging data. If any producers require support to submit their data ahead of the 31 May 2024 deadline, please contact the EPR help desk via email or call phone number 0300 060 0002.
  • The notification process for EPR for packaging and DRS for drinks containers schemes’ regulations will continue and next steps will be agreed with ministers following the General Election. Both sets of regulations were notified to the World Trade Organization and the European Union in April and May 2024. You can access these through the relevant links below
  • We recently shared the Simpler Recycling for England policy next steps, and we continue to prepare and support local authorities and waste collectors to implement non-household municipal premises ahead of March 2025. The commencement regulations came into force on 17 May and ‘The Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2024’ were laid in Parliament on 21 May 2024. No further regulations can be made until Parliament is sitting again. Please do continue to familiarise yourself with the recent government response confirmed in early May;
  • We continue to work towards introducing Digital Waste Tracking across the UK from April 2025, to enable us to track waste movements in real time.
  • Additionally, more widely the single-use vapes ban known as Disposable Vapes regulations have been notified to the World Trade Organization (April 2024) which continue through the process and next steps will be agreed with ministers following the General Election.
  • We understand businesses will be keen to understand the position on the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment consultation. Our teams continue to work through the consultation responses, and we will communicate the government’s response after the General Election.