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ReNieuw

What's going on with UK pEPR fees?

The UK's pEPR scheme stacks three things: a per-material base fee, a RAM rating that modulates the fee up or down, and a separate plastic tax. The rules are spread across multiple government documents. The rates change annually. Your PRO will eventually give you a number you can't easily verify. This tool shows the working.

—You know the per-kg rate but you can't work out what it means for a shrink-sleeved bottle with 30% PCR until you've read 40 pages of guidance.
—RAM auto-derivation isn't in your spreadsheet. Which component pushes your aggregate to Amber? Which standard attribute forces Red?
—The plastic tax is all-or-nothing at 30% recycled content. One bad supplier batch flips the entire bill. Most tools model pEPR or plastic tax — not both.

Component-level breakdown

Every component broken down individually: body, closure, label, sleeve, each with its material, weight, rate, and fee. Plastic tax calculated separately.

  • Per-material rates from the 2025/26 confirmed schedule
  • Plastic tax calculated with the binary 30% PCR threshold
  • Source citations on every line
PET bottle (500 mL)Amber
ComponentFee
Body PET · 22g£9.31
Closure HDPE · 3g£1.27
Label Paper · 2g£0.39

Plastic tax

25g plastic × £0.22882/kg+£6.18

Below 30% PCR — full rate applies

Total UK exposure£17.60

Current

Virgin PET

27 g · 0% PCR

Alternative

30% rPET

27 g · 30% PCR

Base pEPR fee£11.42 → £11.42
RAM ratingAmber→Green
RAM-adjusted fee£11.42 → £10.39
Plastic tax£6.18 → £0.00
Savings per 1,000 units−£7.07

Side-by-side scenarios

Switch one material, keep everything else the same. See what changes — in RAM rating, base fee and plastic tax liability — for the same product.

  • RAM rating deltas shown visually
  • Binary plastic tax threshold modelled — 30% PCR flips the entire bill
  • Source citations preserved per component
  • Export the comparison as a client-ready PDF

Customer portfolio reports

Assign packaging lines to customers. See per-customer UK pEPR obligation, where the Red-rated exposure concentrates, and which switches actually move the needle.

  • Annual obligation based on volumes you set, pEPR + plastic tax combined
  • Charts by material category and RAM rating
  • All saved comparisons in one place

Annual UK obligation

£12,480

pEPR + plastic tax combined

Red-rated lines

3 of 8

62% of total exposure

Plastic tax liability

£4,820

Below 30% PCR lines

Potential savings

£2,940

from 2 saved scenarios

Actionable

Move to 30% rPET on 500 mL line

Flips the RAM rating to Green AND eliminates plastic tax entirely. Binary threshold means there's no half-measure.

−£7.07per 1,000 units
Watch

DRS launches October 2027

3 of your product lines fall within the 150 mL–3 L container range — additional deposit obligation on top of pEPR.

UK-specific savings you might be missing

Based on your saved packaging, the tool shows where switching materials or bumping PCR content actually changes the bill.

  • Binary plastic tax threshold flagged with specific PCR targets
  • RAM downgrades shown with the attribute that caused them
  • Upcoming DRS exposure pre-identified per component

Client-ready PDF reports

A document you can actually send to a customer. Executive summary, component breakdowns, RAM derivation logic, plastic tax calculation, sources cited.

  • Cover page with branding and date
  • Executive summary with total UK exposure
  • Per-component breakdown with RAM + plastic tax layers
  • Comparison mode: side-by-side with net savings
  • Methodology and sources cited

ReNieuw

UK pEPR Fee
Impact Analysis

Executive Summary

Savings−£7.07 /1k
United Kingdom

Component breakdown

RAM derivation

Plastic tax

Calculate your UK fees →

No sign-up required