Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Producer responsibility definition

What does Producer responsibility mean? Producer responsibility means the legal framework that shifts the cost of managing products and packaging at end of life from the public sector to those who place them on the market—typically manufacturers, importers, brand owners and, in some regimes, distributors or retailers. It is an umbrella term; duties are set in sector‑specific legislation. In England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, regimes include packaging waste obligations (Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007, moving to extended producer responsibility (EPR) under the Environment Act 2021), WEEE (2013 Regulations), batteries (2009 Regulations) and end‑of‑life vehicles. Scotland has additional measures, including legislation for a...

Producer responsibility and EPR regimes for packaging, WEEE, batteries and end-of-life vehicles (ELVs): liabilities, obligations and enforcement in England and Wales

Published by a LexisNexis Environment expert

Practice notes

producer responsibility regimes—liability framework

This Practice Note offers an overview and summary of the principal liability framework applying to producer responsibility regimes in England and Wales. It concentrates on four core waste regimes relevant here:

packaging waste
waste electronic and electric equipment (WEEE)
batteries and accumulators
end of life vehicles (ELV)

It describes the underlying legal architecture, key statutory duties, the division of responsibility across the supply chain, and the enforcement approach within each regime. Part 3, section 50 of the Environment Act 2021 (EA 2021) and Schedule 4 granted powers to the Secretary of State for England (and Welsh Ministers for Wales) to make regulations that place further obligations on producers, including setting and enforcing waste management targets. This permitted the introduction of extended producer responsibility (EPR) regimes. In England and Wales, the EPR for packaging waste is regulated through the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, SI 2024/1332. For more detail, see Practice Note: Packaging and packaging waste—extended producer responsibility regime. EPR for WEEE is in the course of being implemented in England and Wales. Under an EPR regime, producers hold primary responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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