If you're trying to work out roughly what your packaging will cost under UK Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the base fee per tonne by material is the starting point. These are the confirmed 2025-26 rates, published by PackUK and Defra.
2025-26 base fees, £ per tonne
| Material | Fee (£/tonne) |
|---|---|
| Aluminium | £266 |
| Fibre-based composite | £461 |
| Glass | £192 |
| Paper and board | £196 |
| Plastic | £423 |
| Steel | £259 |
| Wood | £280 |
| Other | £259 |
These are flat rates for the 2025-26 scheme year, no recyclability adjustment applied yet. Multiply the tonnage of each material you place on the market by its rate, then sum across materials, that's your rough base liability before modulation.
What changes from 2026-27: modulation
From the 2026-27 scheme year, fees are modulated by how recyclable each component is rated under the Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM). Instead of one flat rate per material, you now pay one of three rates depending on the rating:
- Green: a discount below the standard rate
- Amber: the standard rate
- Red: a surcharge above the standard rate, and that surcharge grows every year
The red surcharge is set at 1.2 times the standard rate for 2026-27, rising to 1.6 times for 2027-28, and 2.0 times, double, by 2028-29. So a red-rated tonne of plastic that costs 20% more than the standard rate today will cost 100% more within three years, without anything about your packaging changing.
The 2026-27 figures published by PackUK are labelled illustrative, not final, the confirmed Year 2 rates are expected later. But the direction and structure, red costs more, and the gap widens annually, is fixed policy, not subject to change.
Why this matters for your actual bill
Two identical tonnes of plastic packaging, one rated green and one rated red, will cost meaningfully different amounts under the same scheme year. Nationally, roughly 45% of currently reported plastic packaging is rated red. If any part of your range uses flexible film, laminates, dark-pigmented plastic, or composite materials, it's worth checking your actual ratings rather than assuming the base fee is what you'll pay.
See your own packaging's ratings and a full 3-year fee forecast, free for 14 days.
Start your free trialSources: Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging: 2025 base fees, GOV.UK, confirmed 27 June 2025. Year 2 illustrative waste disposal fees, GOV.UK, updated 19 December 2025. PackUK producer disposal fees modulation statement, GOV.UK, updated 17 February 2026.