UK EPR Fees for Glass Packaging: What Food Producers Pay Per Bottle or Jar in 2026

UK Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees for glass packaging range from 4p to 11p per unit in 2026, based on a flat rate of £192 per tonne of glass placed on the UK market. The fee is calculated by weight: a 210g beer bottle costs approximately 4p, a standard 470g wine bottle costs 9p, and a 570g spirit bottle reaches 11p. These fees apply to "large producers" -- businesses with annual turnover above £2 million handling more than 50 tonnes of packaging per year. This article explains how the calculation works, why glass carries higher per-unit costs than plastic despite a lower per-tonne rate, and what practical steps food producers can take to manage their exposure.

What Is the UK EPR Scheme?

Extended Producer Responsibility is a regulatory framework that shifts the financial cost of packaging waste collection from local authorities to the businesses that place packaging onto the UK market.

The UK's EPR scheme, administered by PackUK, officially launched in October 2025 when first invoices were issued to producers. The scheme targets "large producers" -- organisations with annual turnover exceeding £2 million that handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging annually. Businesses below these thresholds are not currently required to pay EPR fees, though they remain subject to registration and data-reporting requirements depending on their size.

Key dates in the scheme's rollout:

• October 2025: First invoices issued, based on 2024 packaging data
• November 2025: First payment deadline, or start of quarterly instalments
• 2026-2027: Planned introduction of eco-modulated fees (recyclability-based adjustments)

The scheme is expected to generate approximately £1.5 billion in its first year. Revenue is allocated to PackUK's administrative costs and payments to local authorities for household packaging waste collection. The British Retail Consortium has campaigned for legal ringfencing to ensure this money is spent specifically on recycling infrastructure rather than general council budgets. The Office for Budget Responsibility has classified EPR as a tax in its fiscal assessments.

How EPR Fees Are Calculated for Glass

The 2025-2026 Fee Rates

Fees are set as a flat rate per tonne of material placed on the UK market. The full material breakdown, published by DEFRA in June 2025, is:

Glass sits at the lower end of the table. The per-unit picture, however, tells a different story.

Calculating Your Per-Unit Cost

Food producers don't purchase packaging by the tonne -- they order by the unit: bottles, jars, lids. The per-unit EPR cost is determined by a straightforward formula:

(weight in kg) × (fee per kg) = EPR cost per unit

At £192 per tonne, the fee per kilogram is £0.192. Applied to common glass formats:

Calculations based on DEFRA rates and typical industry packaging weights.

Worked example: A 500g glass jar, a common format for jam, chutney, or honey, incurs 0.5kg × £0.192 = 9.6p in EPR fees per unit.

When supply chain margins are factored in, the retail price impact may be approximately double the raw EPR fee, according to Pattesons Glass and other manufacturers and distributors.

Why Glass Costs More Per Unit Than Plastic

This is the detail that surprises many producers. Plastic carries a higher per-tonne EPR rate (£423 vs £192 for glass). Yet a lightweight PET bottle weighing 50g incurs only around 2.1p in EPR fees. A glass bottle of similar capacity, weighing 470-570g, incurs 9-11p.

The reason is weight. EPR fees are based purely on the tonnage of material placed on the market, not on the environmental performance of that material. Glass is heavier than plastic due to material density and the structural requirements of bottle and jar production. That physical reality, combined with per-tonne pricing, creates higher absolute per-unit costs for glass regardless of its environmental credentials.

Nick Kirk, Technical Director at British Glass, stated: "Brands don't buy a ton of packaging. They buy a million bottles, or a million cartons. They always buy in quantity, so EPR should be calculated on that basis."

Glass is recycled at approximately 76% in the UK - a higher rate than plastic. It can be remelted indefinitely without losing quality or purity. It does not leach chemicals into food or drink. Under the current calculation method, none of those properties reduces what producers pay per unit.

Three Features of the Current Scheme That Affect Glass Users

No recyclability incentive in the first year. The planned eco-modulation system would apply fee adjustments based on packaging recyclability ratings. A highly recyclable, clear glass format rated "Green" would pay less than a difficult-to-recycle coated container of the same weight. This system has been delayed until 2026-2027 at the earliest. For all of 2025-2026, a fully recyclable glass jar and an unrecyclable glass container of identical weight pay exactly the same fee.

Competing materials are temporarily exempt. Single-use drinks containers made from PET plastic and aluminium (150ml-3L) are currently exempt from EPR fees. They were intended to be covered by the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), which has been delayed until October 2027 at the earliest. Glass beverage containers are excluded from the DRS in England and remain fully liable for EPR fees. This creates a two-year minimum window where producers using plastic bottles or aluminium cans for beverages pay no EPR fees, while producers using glass pay 4-11p per unit.

The weight-based calculation is a structural disadvantage for glass. There is no policy mechanism in the 2025-2026 scheme that rewards heavier packaging for its recyclability or compensates producers for the environmental benefits of their material choice. Randy Burns, Chief Sustainability Officer at O-I Glass, noted: "Glass is still carrying more than its fair share of the system's cost -- while aluminium and PET get a free pass. We believe in a level playing field. One where recyclability is rewarded."

Business Impact for Small and Medium Food Producers

The Core Cost Pressure

The British Retail Consortium estimates that over 80% of EPR costs will be passed through supply chains to consumers. The Bank of England has estimated the policy will contribute approximately 0.5% to food inflation.

For larger businesses with high packaging volumes, EPR creates a meaningful but manageable compliance cost. For smaller producers, the impact is more concentrated.

What This Means for SMEs

Small and medium food producers typically operate with thinner margins and less capital to absorb sudden cost increases or fund packaging redesigns. The Isle of Wight Distillery's experience illustrates the pressure the scheme creates for producers who specifically chose glass for its environmental credentials. Compliance and Sustainability Manager Charity Parker noted: "We have created glass bottles to be reused and to go back into the circular economy. It would actually be cheaper to put our liquid into plastic bottles."

That is the dilemma the current fee structure creates for conscientious glass users.

Private Label Arrangements

Producers supplying private label products to retailers need to check their EPR liability carefully. The regulations define the "first brand owner" as the responsible party for fee payment. If an SME producer supplies a product to a retailer with any of the producer's own branding present -- even as a secondary mark -- the producer, not the retailer, may be liable for EPR fees on all packaging.

Many smaller suppliers had expected retailer partners to carry primary responsibility for private label lines. This legal structure has created unexpected financial exposure for some businesses. Always take legal advice on your specific supply arrangements before assuming where liability falls.

Hospitality Businesses

Pubs, restaurants, and hotels face a particular challenge. They pay for commercial waste collection services to dispose of glass packaging. They also receive EPR fees embedded in the wholesale prices of packaged beverages -- meaning the same packaging effectively carries a cost twice. Industry groups have raised this with DEFRA, as the current definition of "household packaging" in the regulations is broad enough to capture primary packaging sold in hospitality venues.

Practical Strategies for Managing EPR Costs

Policy discussions will continue, but food producers using glass need practical options now.

1. Lightweighting

Reducing packaging weight while maintaining structural integrity reduces EPR liability proportionally. Weight reduction targets of 10-15% are often technically achievable without compromising bottle or jar performance.

Pattesons offers lightweight glass packaging that maintains shelf presence while reducing material costs, transport emissions, and EPR fees.

Steps to consider:

• Request a lightweighting analysis from your glass packaging supplier on your highest-volume formats
• Prototype and test designs for breakage rates during transport and handling
• Assess consumer perception in small-scale trials before committing to a full rollout
• Calculate EPR savings against any tooling, mould, or transition costs

Note that lightweighting has limits. Some premium bottle formats require maintaining a certain weight, and pressure constraints for carbonated beverages or complex shape requirements can restrict what is achievable.

2. Supply Chain Review

Local sourcing can reduce transport costs and the carbon footprint of your packaging. For some businesses, proximity to suppliers can also support access to regional closed-loop collection models, which eliminate per-unit EPR costs for participating businesses -- though current regulations do not yet provide specific financial incentives for glass reuse arrangements.

3. SKU and Pricing Review

Calculate the EPR cost per SKU as both an absolute figure and a percentage of your wholesale or retail price. Some product lines will have margin capacity to absorb the cost without adjustment. Others will require a pricing decision.

Rationalising low-volume SKUs -- or consolidating pack sizes where practical -- concentrates your volume into more commercially efficient formats and reduces total EPR liability. Transparent communication about regulatory cost increases, framed within your broader sustainability commitment, can support necessary price adjustments.

4. Sustainable Positioning

Consumer research published by McKinsey in 2025 found that glass and paper-based packaging are seen by consumers as the most sustainable materials, and that consumers value packaging solutions that align with circularity principles. Glass's infinite recyclability and its status as a non-leaching, food-safe material are genuine and verifiable attributes. Communicating these clearly supports both premium positioning and price resilience.

5. Compliance and Policy Monitoring

The EPR framework is expected to change significantly over its first three years. Staying ahead of those changes gives businesses time to plan rather than react.

Key developments to monitor:

• Eco-modulated fees (targeted for 2026-2027 introduction): would create the first financial incentive for choosing more recyclable glass formats
• Deposit Return Scheme implementation (anticipated October 2027): implementation is expected to end the current EPR exemption for plastic and aluminium beverage containers
• Potential amendments to closed-loop system incentives: November 2025 amendments introduced offsets for food-grade plastics; industry groups continue to argue for equivalent treatment for glass reuse
• Revenue ringfencing: the BRC continues to campaign for legal requirements that EPR funds be directed to recycling infrastructure

Assign clear internal ownership for compliance monitoring. Subscribing to DEFRA and PackUK update channels and engaging through trade bodies such as British Glass are practical starting points.

What to Expect Through 2027

2026-2027: Eco-modulated fees are scheduled for introduction. Glass formats rated "Green" (highly recyclable) would pay reduced fees; formats rated "Red" (difficult to recycle) would pay a premium. This will be the first time the scheme creates a financial incentive for circular packaging design within a material category.

October 2027: The Deposit Return Scheme is anticipated to launch, covering PET plastic and aluminium drinks containers (150ml-3L). If implemented as currently scoped, this should end the current EPR exemption for those materials, levelling the competitive position for glass producers in the beverage sector.

Ongoing -- glass and DRS: Current policy excludes glass beverage containers from the DRS in England. EPR remains the primary compliance mechanism for glass packaging.

Ongoing -- ringfencing: The BRC continues to campaign for legal requirements that EPR funds be directed to recycling infrastructure rather than general council budgets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the EPR fee rate for glass packaging in 2026? The EPR fee for glass packaging is £192 per tonne in 2025-2026, set by DEFRA under the UK Extended Producer Responsibility scheme. Per unit, this produces fees of between 4p (for a 210g bottle) and 11p (for a 570g bottle), depending on packaging weight.

Who has to pay EPR fees? EPR fees apply to "large producers" -- businesses with annual UK turnover above £2 million that place more than 50 tonnes of packaging on the market per year. Smaller businesses below both thresholds are not currently required to pay fees, though data-reporting obligations still apply depending on company size.

Why is the per-unit EPR cost for glass higher than for plastic if glass has a lower per-tonne rate? Because EPR fees are calculated by weight and glass packaging is substantially heavier than plastic equivalents. A PET bottle weighing 50g incurs around 2.1p in EPR fees. A glass bottle of equivalent capacity typically weighs 470-570g and incurs 9-11p. The per-tonne rate is lower for glass, but weight dominates the calculation in practice.

Is there any EPR fee reduction for recyclable glass packaging? Not yet. The planned eco-modulation system -- which would reduce fees for highly recyclable packaging formats -- has been delayed until 2026-2027. For the entire 2025-2026 scheme year, all glass packaging of the same weight pays the same fee regardless of recyclability rating.

Are plastic bottles exempt from EPR fees? Single-use drinks containers made from PET plastic and aluminium (150ml-3L capacity) are currently exempt from EPR fees. They were expected to fall under the Deposit Return Scheme, which has been delayed until October 2027 at the earliest. Glass containers are excluded from the Deposit Return Scheme in England and remain fully liable for EPR fees.

Can switching to lighter glass jars reduce my EPR costs? Yes. EPR fees are directly proportional to packaging weight. Reducing the weight of a bottle or jar by 10-15% reduces the EPR fee by the same proportion. Ask your glass supplier for a lightweighting analysis on your highest-volume formats to understand what is achievable for your specific packaging.

How much will EPR fees add to retail prices? The British Retail Consortium estimates that more than 80% of EPR costs will be passed through supply chains to consumers. The Bank of England has estimated the policy contributes approximately 0.5% to food inflation. The exact retail impact per product depends on margin capacity across the supply chain.

---

References

1. DEFRA -- Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging: 2025 base fees, June 2025.
2. UK Parliament Library -- Impact of extended producer responsibility for packaging on glass packaging producers, 2025.
3. British Retail Consortium (BRC) -- Packaging tax to push up prices for consumers, October 2025.
4. Wine and Spirit Trade Association, British Glass, Scotch Whisky Association -- Joint statement on EPR glass fees, 2025.
5. Drinks Retailing News -- EPR base fees labelled ambiguous and counterproductive, 2025.
6. Pattesons Glass -- Managing EPR Costs for Glass Packaging, 2025.
7. The Drinks Business -- Wine and beer prices rise under new glass packaging levy, 2025. (Note: Original source was BBC News -- "Glass levy dampens producers' spirits". The BBC article is no longer directly accessible; this Drinks Business article covers the same story and data.)
8. Mills Reeve -- New EPR rules could cause additional costs for private label manufacturers, October 2025.
9. DEFRA -- Deposit Return Scheme: drinks producer and retailer responsibilities.
10. Clarity Environmental -- Understanding EPR modulated fees, 2025.
11. Green Alliance -- Written evidence to UK Parliament on EPR design and material impacts (PWC0014), 2025. (Note: Direct URL for this written evidence submission could not be verified. Recommend Sam Graves confirms this reference before publishing, or replaces with the House of Commons Library briefing CBP-10352.)
12. McKinsey & Company -- Sustainability in packaging 2025: Inside the minds of global consumers, 2025.