Westminster Food & Nutrition Forum has announced a new conference looking at the next steps for Extended Producer Responsibility in England.

The conference will discuss the transition to a circular economy for plastic waste in England, with a focus on next steps for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

It will be held online on the morning of Wednesday 20th November 2024, and will be chaired by Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville.

Delegates will assess the roadmap for operationalisation of the DRS scheme as well as priorities for action from key stakeholders, policy coordination on waste and DRS schemes across the UK.

Areas for discussion regarding EPR will include:

  • Approaches to utilising the delay until 2025 to resolve certain aspects of the scheme, such as refining the regulatory system for EPR to enable its functioning across the value chain
  • Priorities for the EPR Steering Group moving forward, including providing clarity for stakeholders, enabling effective consultation and supporting the design and mobilisation of the scheme
  • Establishing what constitutes household waste and addressing how different material life can be accommodated in EPR
  • Implications of the scheme for SMEs
  • Advancing technology and innovation to enable EPR to be exercised by producers, as well as to develop performance across the recycling chain and reduce costs.

Delegates will also assess the practicalities of different DRS schemes throughout the UK, as well as priorities for international and intergovernmental relationships within the UK and insights into Ireland’s newly launched DRS scheme.

Keynote sessions will be held by: Harshal Gore, Strategy and External Relations, EPR, Defra; Jordan Girling, WRAP; and Dr Colin Church, CEO, Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.

Places can be booked by clicking here.