New Year, New Packaging Waste Regulations – Are You Handling It?

It’s not too late to register!

Hi All,

With New Year celebrations seeming to be just a distant memory, we hope you are all settling back in to your working week and looking ahead to your business objectives for this quarter. Looking to the environmental arm of the Kite Group, KES (Kite Environmental Solutions) are busy helping their customers with the Packaging Waste Regulations (remember this has nothing to do with the waste you generate but is a “tax” on packaging).

First of all they have launched their new website, which is looking fresher than ever, including easy guides and handy FAQ’s if you are struggling through the Packaging Regulations Compliance Process.  The brand new site can still be found at the usual address https://www.packagingregs.co.uk/ and you can tweet the team @packagingregs.

The website re-design has been a long term project for the division, designed with their customers in mind.  Whether you are new to the Regulations, registered and need further advice, or are facing any issues related to non-compliance there are simple overviews specifically for you, along with all the necessary information for registering your business with the Environment Agency and how to contact the KES team for advice and help.

Whilst our KES division works independently from Kite, having in-depth experience within the packaging industry provides them with an expertise that makes them stand out from the crowd.  If you require a dedicated consultancy service and on-site auditing this is the Scheme for you.

So, being New Year, what are the key questions you need to answer right now?

Are you obligated?

The New Year means new sales figures, and a fantastic 2013 may mean your business is now obligated to comply with the Packaging Waste Regulations.  Remember, these Regulations are a government directive and enforced by the Environment Agency – they are not optional.

You are required to register with the Environment Agency, and submit an annual ‘packaging tax return’ about how much packaging you have introduced to the UK if you:

- Have a UK ‘presence’ (site, office, companies house registration or similar)

- Have a turnover above £2 million

- Handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging per year (excluding exports)

The time for collecting this data is now, with the whole process needing to be wrapped up by March – if you think you are obligated head over to the KES website for more information about how to proceed!  If you fail to register, the Environment Agency has the power to prosecute you, or issue you with an Enforcement Undertaking.

Are you registered?

January is the busiest time for our KES team as it is when the collection process of packaging information begins so that it can be analysed and used to calculate your final PRN obligation. This means if you are to register by March you still have a small window of time to contact them and get your packaging information sorted to avoid being penalised by the Environment Agency.

If you are a Kite customer, and order stock through the Kite website, you can find out how much packaging you have used throughout the year using our handy Packaging Regulations tool on the ‘My Account’ section. Take a peek at our handy video guide below to see exactly how it is done (remember to click 'make full screen' for a larger version).

We hope this post helped you start the New Year feeling relaxed about the regulations. If you have any more questions please head to the KES website or contact the team on 02476 420088.