The SW Summary: On EPR fees, the road to net-zero, retailer cork recycling schemes, and more

Revised UK EPR fees and industry concerns

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations are spreading worldwide as governments are shifting the costs of product and packaging waste management to producers. The UK’s EPR regulation currently focuses on packaging. The aim of the ‘producer-pays’ principle is to encourage more sustainable packaging design, less waste, and the increased use of recyclable and recycled materials. 

As per the UK Government guidance here, as of October 2025 obligated producers will have to pay EPR fees to finance the costs of collecting, sorting and recycling packaging from UK households. The payments will start in 2025, but will be based on 2024 data. The fees will be based on packaging material and weight.

Following harsh criticism from the glass industry over high fees, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) recently published revised estimated EPR base fees. Although the cost for glass has been slightly reduced, trade association British Glass remains concerned that the proposed fee “will put glass at a competitive disadvantage, especially in the beverage market,”, reports Tony Corbin in Packaging News. 

The impacts of the EPR regulation aren’t contained to the UK. Whilst importers and domestic wine producers will bear the direct costs, exporting producers will also be affected. Exporters will likely face demands for packaging modifications, increased costs, additional data requirements, and other compliance adjustments. On an environmentally positive note, lighter bottles and recycled glass will certainly be in favour, but concerns over costs remain.

You may also be interested in learning about the Sustainable Wine Roundtable’s (SWR) Bottle Weight Accord, a collaborative initiative to reduce bottle weight. 

O-I Glass project combines social and environmental sustainability 

Across the pond, Kelsey Lambers reports on a new glass recycling initiative launched by non-profit Workwell Industries in West Louisville, Kentucky. In collaboration with O-I Glass, Suntory Global Spirits, Diageo North America and Pernod Ricard, the RecycWELL project aims to “provide essential glass recycling services for the Louisville region while creating new job opportunities for the local community.”

The initiative will collect end-of-life glass from local businesses to then clean, sort and process it into cullet (glass waste). O-I Glass will then recycle this into new bottles, thereby filling the current gap in the local supply of recycled glass, Lambers explains. Not only will the project improve glass recycling infrastructure in an area currently deemed a “glass recycling desert,” but it’ll simultaneously benefit the local economy and “provide opportunities for individuals who have faced barriers to employment, such as disabilities, poverty, or incarceration, as well as veterans transitioning back to civilian life.”

In its first year, RecycWELL expects to recycle up to 1,200 tons of glass from the hospitality and spirits industries. The glass recycling partnership will support brands such as Suntory, Diageo and Pernod Ricard in their sustainability goals by increasing the use of recycled materials and reducing waste. Read the article here.

Viña Concha y Toro: On the road to net-zero by 2040

Viña Concha y Toro is working hard to become net-zero by 2040. In a recent press release the company announced it reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 42% in 2023, compared to the 2017 base year. This reduction has largely stemmed from transitioning to 100% renewable electricity supply and lightweighting bottles.

The company’s emissions reduction path has been built in alignment with the Science Based Target Initiative and includes targets for Scope 1 emissions (direct), Scope 2 (indirect) and Scope 3 (indirect from the supply chain). With the 42% reduction in 2023, the company is on track to meet its target of 55% reduction by 2030 (compared to the 2017 base year). Having transitioned to renewable energy, addressed packaging decisions and reduced bottle weight, sustainability director Valentina Lira explains how the company is now looking to tackle issues of sustainable transport and distribution.

Viña Concha y Toro is also engaged in carbon capture via the 4,200 hectares of native forests it owns. To measure the impact, the company uses the Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) guidance and is the first in Latin America and the first winery in the world to do so. Read the full press release here.

Waitrose introduces cork recycling scheme

In the Grocery Gazette Cara Houlton reports on the recent cork recycling initiative from UK supermarket Waitrose. Earlier this month, the retailer launched trial schemes in seven stores across the UK. Each store has an individual collection point where customers can drop off their used natural corks. The collected corks will then be recycled and repurposed by Amorim, the world’s largest cork processing group. New applications of recycled cork include mulch and household items such as placemats, flooring and shoes.

Barry Dick, Waitrose beer, wine and spirits global bulk wine sourcing manager, notes how Waitrose customers cork almost 25m natural corks a year. “Currently this valuable material does not have its own waste stream which means it ends up in landfill. Cork is a durable material and has the potential to be repurposed into a variety of products after it has been used as a wine cork,” he says. Waitrose plans to expand the scheme more widely based on learnings from the trials. Read more here.