FPA Friday Digest

Introduction by the FPA's executive director Martin Kersh

The Chancellor’s spending review this week brought zero cheer to the UK’s waste management and hospitality sectors. While many departments benefited, Defra lost out, so perhaps the Chancellor doesn’t view its work as being of priority, or perhaps she believes industry can be asked to stump up more money to pay for its circular economy agenda. However, if this is on her agenda then the tobacco sector is clearly not part of her thinking, as local authorities rather than producers will continue to pay for the tobacco industry's litter. An absurd inconsistency, which confirms packaging has been specifically targeted versus other parts of the economy that have a bigger claim as polluters.

For hospitality, the announcement by the Office of National Statistics of a reduction of 124,000 jobs year-on-year confirms the predictions of the impact of the last budget on the sector were correct; and when your local pub is forced to close you know why. We need to be fearful that packaging developments – including bans of packaging to be replaced by more expensive packaging or costly reuse systems – don’t erode our independent operator sector. Another example of 'you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone'.

How come the most polluting single item isn't going to be subject to EPR?

The UK’s most littered item is cigarettes. As litter is pollution and EPR makes businesses financially responsible for the cost of the pollution resulting from their packaging activities, then it surely seems fair and right that items other than packaging which create pollution should equally be subject to EPR? Not to do so is wholly inconsistent.

This week the government confirmed it has no plans for the producers of cigarettes, the filters of which contain plastic and are often disposed of in drains, to pay for the pollution their products create. In a House of Lords question the Lord Bishop of Norwich asked whether whether the government plans to introduce "extended producer responsibility for the tobacco industry or a ban on single-use cigarette filters to reduce environmental impact". In response the Defra minister in the House of Lords, Baroness Hayman, stated: “This government has no current plans to introduce mandatory extended producer responsibility to the tobacco industry … Tobacco litter remains a concern for Defra, with cigarette filters consistently scoring as the most littered item in surveys … Defra believes the best way to tackle littering of filters is through reductions in smoking rates".

So rather than force the producers to pay for tobacco waste the tax payer pays, as the burden will reside with the overstretched Department of Health and Social Care, and Public Health England to implement the programmes required to achieve reductions in smoking rates.

Given government sees packaging EPR as an effective vehicle for funding waste management, then there is no excuse for it not applying the same principle to other parts of the economy creating waste. Not to do so means there is no level playing field for the UK economy, with one sector taking full financial responsibility for its waste and other so called ‘polluters’ leaving it to local authorities and tax payers to fund their waste management.

That cigarettes provide the Treasury with a major source of revenue from the duty placed upon them will, of course, not have influenced the government’s thinking ...

Spending review sees Defra's budget cut

With many other departments having their annual budget increased, Defra with responsibility for packaging waste management – and for that matter ensuring the nation is fed – had its budget cut by 2.7% in real terms. The spending review included no funds specified for direct investment in waste management infrastructure, with more emphasis on reducing waste in government than on local authority waste management. The settlement for local government includes unspecified funding for UK local authorities 'to deliver Simpler Recycling as part of the Collection and Packaging waste reforms, which will help to stimulate investment in recycling services across the UK'.

The spending allocated is directed towards farming, nature and flood defence, with no specific budget allocation for waste reforms that require very many UK local authorities to overhaul their waste collection systems – of which packaging is just one component. The review mentions 'local authorities will continue to receive additional income through the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging.” This suggests EPR payments will be separated from general local authority funding, but there still remains the possibility of councils' EPR receipts not being spent for their intended purpose.

The hospitality sector was also deeply disappointed by the Chancellor, with no immediate support offered to a sector reeling from increased National Minimum Wage and National Insurance Contributions. The extension of free school meals to over 500,000 children will however provide a boost to the catering sector.

Trade Remedies Authority

Anne Sutton, head of the FPA Regulatory and Compliance Committee and Martin Kersh, executive director of the FPA, met this week with the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA). The TRA is part of the Department of Trade and was set up following the UK leaving the EU to deal with UK businesses injured by unfair trade practices, and to defend the interests of UK businesses. Particularly relevant to UK packaging producers is the dumping of packaging in the UK by producers from other countries, as well the provision of unfair subsidies by their governments enabling them to dump their packaging in this way. Injury can include profits, employment and return on investment.

The TRA will investigate all complaints, either from your businesses individually or through the FPA. If reported to us we will ascertain the extent to which members are adversely impacted, as this will encourage the TRA to investigate further. The Competition and Markets Authority has confirmed reporting incidents of these unfair trading practices either directly or via the FPA does not breach competition law and so we encourage you to bring anything you may consider to be a breach by a producer in another country to our attention.

We suspected that reported cases have focused on giant industries, especially for materials. However we are reassured this is not the case and the size of the business submitting a complaint or allegation does not matter. To support this the TRA has published guidance for SMEs.

The packaging sector is being injured as a result of dumping, and given the TRA is willing to help we shouldn’t hesitate to provide them with examples.

Matt Lucas confirmed as host of the 2026 FPA Awards

The FPA is delighted to announce that the 2026 FPA Awards, taking place at The Grand Hotel, Brighton on Thursday March 05, will be hosted by comedian, actor, author and presenter Matt Lucas.

Known widely for his many unforgettable roles in 'Little Britain' with its regular 9.5 million viewers, including Vicky Pollard, Daffyd, Bubbles DeVere, Andy, Marjory Dawes, ‘being a lady’ Florence Rose, and more.

Little Britain is only one small segment of a staggering career that takes in 'Come Fly With Me', 'Shooting Stars', and 'Dr Who', plus movies including 'Alice In Wonderland', 'Bridesmaids', 'Paddington', 'Wonka' and 'Gladiator 2'.

Matt also appeared in 'Les Misérables' in the West End, and is a presenter of the 'Great British Bake Off'. Added to his amazing career are many Comic Relief appearances and a range of roles from Toad in 'The Wind in the Willows' to the Pet Shop Boys’ video 'I’m With Stupid'.

Further information about the 2026 Awards will be released over the coming weeks.

FPA Golf and Activities Day

The Golf and Activities Day yesterday went with a swing and, for the most part, stayed dry if a little windy (providing plenty of excuses for shots not going quite where they were supposed too!). The heavens opened in the afternoon, but it turned into a lovely warm, balmy evening for the BBQ and prizes, prior to which FPA interim executive chair Anna Turner was delighted to be able to present a cheque to WasteAid for £8,000 – raised exclusively from the 2025 FPA Awards.

A day like yesterday doesn't happen by itself. Grateful thanks to the head of the FPA Leisure and Activities Committee, Cliff Mason of Eximex, for planning and organising the event; to our office manager Lisa for lending her support as always; and to KP for jumping in last night to help stuff all the goody bags.

Huge thanks also to sponsors Conglom, Seal, and South Staffordshire Paper Products; to ICS for donating the crisps, chocolate bars and drinks for the goody bags; and to Bunzl, The Grand Hotel, Cofresco and Northwood for the raffle prizes.

Look out for more about the day in next week's Digest, including details of all the prize winners.

FPA in the news

Vending International: Industry comment, Martin Kersh: EPR – is it worth it? See page 17 here

Beverage Standards Association: Mike Revell of the Socius Network elected executive chair of the Foodservice Packaging Association. See page 7 here

Packaging News: Hospitality sector raises EPR concerns with PM. Read more here

Packaging News: Environmental Packaging Summit – Fireside chat: Martin Kersh, executive director, Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA) will be talking to Emma Bourne, director – circular economy, DEFRA. Read more here

Essential reading

Restaurant: UK eating out sector to break £100bn mark this year. Read more here

QSR: QSR market sees growth for chains, decline for independent outlets. Read more here

The Grocer: Waitrose letting shoppers 'borrow' erusable cups in latest hot drinks trial. Read more here

Packaging Gateway: Why paper and packaging face uncertain times. Read more here

The Grocer: DRS, EPR ... government can't be trusted with green schemes.Read more here

letsrecycle.com: Opinion 'Will trickle-down economics deliver the goals of EPR?'. Read more here

Food & Drink Internationsl: RFID packaging moves ahead as traceability standards evolve. Read more here

Circular: Supporting WasteAid – CIWM's technical support visit to The Gambia. Read more here

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