kopik
Create
Environment

EPR for packaging: are you a small or large producer in the UK?

EPR for packaging applies to UK businesses that supply or import packaging above set thresholds. This page explains how to tell whether you are obligated and what small and large producers must do.

Ask your question

Free account required

Each question stands alone · 1 free a month, then with a subscription.

Answers are written by a language model solely from this base's documents, with numbered sources. They can be wrong and aren't legal, medical or financial advice: check the sources before any important decision.

The thresholds that make you a producer

You are an obligated producer if you are established in the UK, supplied or imported more than 25 tonnes of packaging in the previous year and had a worldwide turnover of £1 million or more. With 25 to 50 tonnes, or with turnover up to £2 million, you are a small producer. Above 50 tonnes and £2 million, you are a large producer.

In a corporate group, the combined totals of UK members that handle packaging set the status of every member. Charities are exempt, but not their trading subsidiaries.

Small and large producer duties

Small producers register, report once a year by 1 April using the codes SP and HDC, and keep data for 7 years. They pay no disposal fees and buy no PRNs.

Large producers report every 6 months, buy PRNs or PERNs per material, submit a certificate of compliance and pay household packaging disposal fees to PackUK. 2026 targets include 57% for plastic and 76% for glass, to be met by 31 January of the following year.

Frequently asked questions

Is a foreign company with a UK warehouse established in the UK?

Yes. An organisation with a head office outside the UK is still established in the UK if it has a branch, a warehouse or a UK postal address.

If I pack goods under another company's brand, who is obligated?

If you pack or import goods carrying a large producer's brand, the brand owner is normally the obligated producer.

Can a December PRN be used for the next year?

Yes. For waste received in December, you can accept the PRN or PERN for that year or the next. Notes for other months only count towards their own accreditation year.

For developers and agents

Embed / API / MCP

Connect this base to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT or your own app. Each API or MCP request costs €0.10, charged to your Kopik credit (not charged if nothing is found). You need an API key: create one from your dashboard.

MCP for your agents

This base's MCP server URL (tools ask_base and search_base):

MCP URL
https://kopik.io/api/mcp?base=uk-business-carbon-energy-waste-compliance
Claude Code, Cursor and other clients
Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http kopik-uk-business-carbon-energy-waste-compliance "https://kopik.io/api/mcp?base=uk-business-carbon-energy-waste-compliance" --header "Authorization: Bearer kpk_…"
JSON config (mcpServers)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kopik-uk-business-carbon-energy-waste-compliance": {
      "url": "https://kopik.io/api/mcp?base=uk-business-carbon-energy-waste-compliance",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer kpk_…"
      }
    }
  }
}

REST API for your apps

mode is "answer" (written answer + sources) or "passages" (raw passages only). Add an optional maxPriceCents to cap the price: if the base costs more, the call is refused and nothing is charged.

curl
curl -X POST https://kopik.io/api/v1/bases/uk-business-carbon-energy-waste-compliance/query \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer kpk_…" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"question": "Your question here", "mode": "answer"}'

Getting started

  1. Create a key in your dashboard and top up your credit.
  2. Replace kpk_… with your key.
  3. Full details (responses, errors, JS and Python examples): developer docs.