Guide
Environmental obligations for retailers
Environmental compliance for retail businesses. Covers WEEE registration, packaging waste, EPR, carrier bag charge, single-use plastics ban, Simpler Recycling, and DRS preparation.
Check which environmental rules apply to your retail business. You may need to register for waste electricals, packaging waste, or the carrier bag charge. Separate your waste and stop selling banned plastic items.
- Register for WEEE if you import or make electrical goods
- Check if packaging waste rules apply (50 tonnes, £2M turnover)
- Register for EPR if you supply packaged goods (£1M turnover, 25 tonnes)
- Charge 10p for single-use carrier bags in England
- Stop selling banned plastic plates, cutlery and cups
- Separate waste into dry, food and residual by 2025 (large) or 2027 (small)
- Prepare to accept returns for drinks containers from 2027
- Keep records of carrier bags if you have 250+ employees
- Join the Distributor Take-back Scheme for small electricals
- Report packaging data by 1 April each year
Retailers face a growing number of environmental obligations, from long-established packaging waste rules to new requirements under the Environment Act 2021. Which obligations apply to you depends on your business size, what you sell, and where you operate. This guide walks through each obligation so you can identify what applies and take the right steps.
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1. Check if WEEE registration applies to you
If you import or manufacture electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and place it on the UK market, you must register with the Environment Agency and join an approved compliance scheme. Retailers that only sell products already placed on the market by someone else are not producers under WEEE, but you must offer free in-store take-back of small WEEE items or join the Distributor Take-back Scheme (DTS).
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2. Determine your packaging waste obligations
If your business handles more than 50 tonnes of packaging annually and has turnover above £2 million, you must register under the packaging waste regulations and obtain Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs). From 2025, the new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system replaces PRNs with variable fees based on packaging weight and recyclability.
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3. Register for EPR if you supply packaged goods
Under the new EPR regime, businesses supplying packaged goods to the UK market must register if turnover exceeds £1 million and you handle more than 25 tonnes of packaging. Register by 1 April each reporting year. Smaller organisations pay a flat fee while larger ones pay based on environmental impact.
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4. Comply with the carrier bag charge
All retailers in England must charge a minimum of 10p for single-use carrier bags. If you have 250 or more employees, you must keep records of bags supplied and report to Defra annually. Certain bags are exempt, including transit packaging and bags for uncooked fish or meat.
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5. Stop supplying banned single-use plastic items
Since October 2023 in England, it is an offence to supply single-use plastic plates, cutlery, polystyrene cups and food containers to end users. Check your stock and supply chain for any banned items. Enforcement is by local authority Trading Standards.
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6. Set up Simpler Recycling waste streams
Businesses in England must separate waste into distinct streams. Large businesses (250+ employees) must comply from 31 March 2025. Micro and small businesses must comply from 31 March 2027. Separate your waste into dry recyclables (paper/card, plastics/metals, glass), food waste, and residual waste.
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7. Prepare for the Deposit Return Scheme (2027)
The DRS launches in October 2027 across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. If you sell in-scope drinks, you must act as a return point, accepting empty containers and refunding the 20p deposit. Start planning now for return point logistics, storage space for returned containers, and deposit handling procedures.
WEEE obligations for retailers
Your WEEE obligations depend on your role in the supply chain. Producers (those who first place EEE on the UK market) have the heaviest duties. Distributors (retailers selling EEE placed on the market by others) must offer customers free take-back of small WEEE items (those with any external dimension up to 25cm) on a like-for-like basis or join the DTS.
Packaging waste and EPR
The packaging waste regime is changing. The existing PRN system is being replaced by Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which shifts the full cost of packaging waste collection and recycling onto producers. Check both your existing obligations and the new EPR requirements.
Carrier bag charge
The single-use carrier bag charge applies differently across the UK nations. Make sure you are applying the correct charge for your location.
Single-use plastics ban
England banned specified single-use plastic items from 1 October 2023. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own separate bans and timelines.
Simpler Recycling
The Simpler Recycling regulations apply to England only and are being phased in by business size. Check your compliance deadline based on employee numbers.
Deposit Return Scheme
The DRS launches in October 2027 as an interoperable scheme across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Wales has not yet confirmed its participation timeline. Retailers selling in-scope drinks will need to act as return points.