EPR packaging deadlines for 2026 and 2027: every date in one place

The next packaging EPR deadline is 31 January 2027, when large producers must meet their recycling obligations for 2026. After that comes 1 April 2027, the big one: large producers report their July to December 2026 data, and small producers report all of 2026 and register for 2027.

Last checked against GOV.UK on 23 October 2026. If a date matters to you, confirm it on GOV.UK's deadlines page before you rely on it.

All the dates

Date	Who	What's due	Status
1 April 2026	Large producers	July to December 2025 data	Passed
1 April 2026	Small producers	2025 data, and registration for 2026	Passed
1 September 2026	Anyone resubmitting	Last date to resubmit 2025 data	Passed
1 October 2026	Large producers	January to June 2026 data	Passed
1 October 2026	Large producers	Registration for 2027, including closed loop	Passed
31 January 2027	Large producers	Recycling obligations for 2026 met, and certificate of compliance	Next
1 April 2027	Large producers	July to December 2026 data	Coming up
1 April 2027	Small producers	2026 data, and registration for 2027	Coming up
1 April 2027	Large producers that only sell filled packaging to end users	Registration for 2027	Coming up
1 October 2027	Large producers	January to June 2027 data, and registration for 2028	Expected
31 January 2028	Large producers	Recycling obligations for 2027	Expected

"Expected" means the date follows GOV.UK's standing rules (half-year data by 1 October and 1 April, large producer registration by 1 October each year, recycling obligations by 31 January), but hasn't yet been published as a specific deadline.

What each deadline means

Reporting your packaging data

Large producers report every six months:

• January to June data, by 1 October the same year.
• July to December data, by 1 April the following year.

Small producers report once a year: the whole calendar year, by 1 April the following year.

You report through the government's Report packaging data service, by uploading a packaging data file. If you've never seen one, our guide to the EPR packaging data file walks through every column and the errors that get files rejected. Before you upload, you can run your file through our free data file checker.

Registering

Registration is every year, not a one-off. Large producers register for the following year by 1 October and pay the fees that apply, so registration for 2027 closed on 1 October 2026. Small producers register by 1 April each year and pay a registration fee.

There's one exception worth knowing about. A large producer whose only packaging activity is selling filled packaging directly to the end user has until 1 April 2027 to register for 2027. And if you want to offset closed loop packaging waste, that's part of the large producer registration, with the same 1 October deadline.

Missing a registration deadline can mean a late fee and enforcement action from your environmental regulator, so it's worth putting these in the diary now.

Recycling obligations

Large producers have to show that enough of their packaging has been recycled, by getting recycling evidence (PRNs and PERNs) and submitting a certificate of compliance. Each year's obligations have to be met by 31 January the following year, so your 2026 obligations are due by 31 January 2027. They're based on your 2025 data.

Evidence issued for waste received in December 2025 can count towards either 2025 or 2026 obligations. Evidence from other months only counts towards the year it relates to.

Resubmissions

If you need to correct data you've already submitted, there's a resubmission window and a fee. The last date to resubmit 2025 data was 1 September 2026. Check GOV.UK for the window for 2026 data.

Nation, self-managed waste and bags data

A few newer parts of the data run to their own timetables, set by each nation's regulator in what are called regulatory position statements. They cover nation data (where your packaging is supplied and thrown away across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), self-managed waste (packaging waste you collect yourself, from customers or your own sites), and plastic and paper bags supplied in England. The GOV.UK deadlines page links to each regulator's statement.

Are you a large or small producer?

You're obligated if you're UK-based, handled more than 25 tonnes of packaging last year and turn over £1 million or more. You're a large producer if you handled more than 50 tonnes and turn over more than £2 million. Otherwise you're a small producer. Our guide to EPR for packaging explains the thresholds and the full list of obligations.

Don't leave it to the last fortnight

It's rarely the deadline itself that causes trouble. It's the data. When weights, materials and sales volumes get pulled together by hand in the month before a deadline, mistakes slip through, and fixing them later means paying a resubmission fee.

The businesses that cope best collect the data as they go, so by the deadline there's not much left to do except check it. That's the kind of system we build, and one UK packaging manufacturer we work with now saves around six weeks a year on EPR reporting. See EPR reporting automation for how it works.

Common questions

When is the next EPR packaging deadline?

31 January 2027, for large producers to meet their 2026 recycling obligations. The next data deadline is 1 April 2027, for both large and small producers.

When do large producers report packaging data?

Twice a year: January to June data by 1 October, and July to December data by 1 April the following year.

When do small producers report?

Once a year, by 1 April, covering the whole of the previous calendar year. Small producers also register by 1 April.

When do I register for EPR?

Every year. Large producers register by 1 October for the following year. Small producers register by 1 April.

What happens if I miss a deadline?

You may face a late fee and enforcement action from your environmental regulator. If you think you'll miss one, contact your regulator before the date passes.