Guiding businesses on new packaging rules

What was the industry challenge? 

The UK’s Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility scheme introduced new data collection requirements and waste management fees for seafood packaging disposed of in household bins. Seafood businesses were concerned about the administrative burden, the level of detail required and the difficulty of reducing fees where seafood packaging is hard to make highly recyclable.​ 

How did Seafish and its partners respond? 

We brought seafood businesses, policymakers and regulators together through a series of workshops to discuss the sector’s concerns and practical questions. We also hosted a webinar on ways to improve packaging sustainability and reduce potential fees, presented to industry groups and published tailored guidance to support compliance. 

What was the impact? 

Although the policy itself was not changed, we helped ensure the seafood sector’s concerns were clearly heard by government. Businesses welcomed the opportunity to raise issues directly and valued the practical support, workshops and guidance that helped them better understand and prepare for the new requirements.