How do I use the Report Packaging Data (RPD) portal for UK EPR?

The Report Packaging Data (RPD) portal is the official digital service operated by UK environmental regulators for businesses to submit packaging waste data. Registration costs 1,216 GBP, or 631 GBP if you file through a compliance scheme, and large producers must report their packaging data every 6 months. (48 words)

Navigating the environmental compliance landscape in the United Kingdom requires a precise understanding of where and how to file your material data. The Report Packaging Data portal serves as the single digital gateway for businesses to interface with the government regarding their physical packaging footprint. It replaces older, fragmented systems with a unified service designed to capture the exact material makeup of the packaging you place on the UK market.

For online sellers, high street retailers, and direct-to-consumer brands, interacting with this portal is a hard legal requirement once you cross specific business size thresholds. The government uses the granular data you submit here to calculate your financial obligations, which directly fund local municipal recycling infrastructure and waste management services. Whether you are a brand owner, an importer of foreign goods, or an online marketplace operator, the portal is the primary environment where your compliance status is formally recorded, tracked, and audited by the relevant authorities.

What Report Packaging Data / RPD Portal (UK) actually means

The Report Packaging Data portal is the operational mechanism through which the UK enforces its Extended Producer Responsibility packaging regulations. When a business hits the legal definition of an obligated producer, it must create an account on this portal and provide detailed, structured data about its packaging activities. This involves categorising the materials used, such as glass, paper, aluminium, or plastic, and stating the exact weight in kilograms.

The data must be submitted in a highly specific format, typically via a CSV file, using predefined category codes. Small organisations, for instance, use the code SP for general packaging and HDC for household drinks containers. Furthermore, you must record all of your drinks containers specifically as household drinks containers. The regulators require complete accuracy, and only specific individuals within a company, such as a director, company secretary, partner, or sole trader, are legally authorised to create the initial account and take responsibility for the submission.

Once an account is approved by the environmental regulators, the submitting business becomes legally responsible for ensuring the uploaded packaging data is as accurate as reasonably possible.

Because the UK consists of four nations, the portal routes your compliance relationship to the appropriate regulator based on your location: the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, or the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Third-party compliance schemes can also interact with the portal on a merchant's behalf, taking over the administrative burden of filing the CSV files and paying the registration fees.

Does this apply to me?

If your business supplies packaged goods to the UK market, you must assess your obligations based on your annual turnover and the weight of packaging you handle. The rules apply to businesses that supply packaged goods under their own brand, place goods into packaging, import products in packaging, supply empty packaging, hire out reusable packaging, or operate an online marketplace allowing non-UK businesses to sell into the UK. Charities, however, are exempt from obligations and fees around producing packaging waste unless they act as a reprocessor or exporter.

You fall under the small producer rules if your annual turnover is between 1 million GBP and 2 million GBP and you supply more than 25 tonnes of packaging, or if your turnover is over 1 million GBP and you supply between 25 and 50 tonnes. Small producers must register, pay a fee, and report data, but do not pay waste disposal fees or buy packaging waste recycling notes.

You are classed as a large producer if your annual turnover is 2 million GBP or more and you supply more than 50 tonnes of packaging. Large producers face heavier duties, including paying waste disposal fees, buying recycling notes, and reporting data every 6 months. Large producers may also be required to submit nation data, detailing exactly where in the UK the packaging is supplied and discarded, by 1 April 2026 for the 2025 calendar year. If your business stops being an obligated producer, you must inform the environmental regulators within 28 days.

What thresholds, deadlines and registration fees govern the RPD portal?

The table below outlines the critical thresholds, deadlines, and financial figures that govern how businesses interact with the reporting portal.

Common misconceptions about the RPD portal

“Only manufacturers need to register on the portal”

This is a frequent misunderstanding. The rules capture anyone who places packaging onto the UK market. This includes retail brands that have their products packed by third parties, importers bringing packaged goods into the country from overseas, and even online marketplaces facilitating sales from foreign sellers to UK consumers.

“You can just estimate your packaging weights to save time”

While you might use average weights for identical product lines, the regulators require a rigorous and verifiable methodology. You cannot guess your footprint. Your CSV uploads must reflect actual data collection, and as an approved person on the portal, you are legally declaring that the data provided is as accurate as possible.

“Small businesses do not pay any fees at all”

While small producers do not have to pay the per-tonne waste disposal fees or buy recycling notes, they are not entirely exempt from costs. They still must pay the flat registration fee to the environmental regulator when setting up their account and submitting their data.

“The portal automatically purchases your recycling notes”

The portal collects your placement data and calculates the base regulatory fees, but securing recycling notes is a separate market mechanism. Large producers must actively purchase these notes from accredited reprocessors or exporters to prove they have met their specific recycling obligations.

5 examples of RPD portal reporting scenarios

The direct-to-consumer cosmetics brand

A UK-based skincare company with a 3 million GBP turnover imports 60 tonnes of glass jars and cardboard boxes annually. Because they exceed both thresholds, they register on the portal as a large producer and submit their data every six months.

The boutique clothing importer

A fashion retailer turns over 1.5 million GBP and imports 30 tonnes of clothing in plastic polybags. They qualify as a small producer, meaning they create an account, pay the registration fee, and submit their packaging data annually, but avoid waste disposal fees.

The corporate parent company

A large retail group owns three distinct subsidiary brands. The parent company registers a single account on the portal and submits data for the entire group, separating the packaging data for each subsidiary within the primary upload.

The overseas seller on a marketplace

A US-based electronics brand sells directly to UK consumers via a major online marketplace. The US brand does not register on the portal; instead, the marketplace operator assumes the liability and reports the packaging data on their behalf.

The business shifting away from plastic

A food manufacturer redesigns its packaging to use lighter materials, dropping its annual packaging placement from 55 tonnes to 45 tonnes. They notify the regulator within 28 days of their status change, dropping from large to small producer requirements for the following cycle.

Terms related to the RPD portal

Frequently asked questions

Who is allowed to set up the RPD portal account?

Only specific senior figures within a business can initially create the account and become the approved person. This must be a director, company secretary, partner, member of a limited liability partnership, or a sole trader. Once established, they can invite delegates to help manage the daily data uploads.

How do I format the data for submission?

The portal requires you to upload your data using a structured CSV file. The government provides specific templates and file specifications that outline the exact columns and codes you must use. If the file is not formatted correctly, the portal will reject the upload.

What happens if I miss a reporting deadline?

Missing a statutory deadline on the portal can result in financial penalties. The environmental regulators have the authority to issue late fees or penalty charges if your CSV file and corresponding payments are not received by the required date.

Can a third party handle the portal for me?

Yes. Many businesses use third-party compliance schemes. A registered compliance scheme can create your account, handle the CSV data uploads, and pay the registration fees on your behalf. This often reduces the administrative burden and can also lower the standard registration fee.

Do I need to split plastic into different types?

Under the current UK reporting rules for small producers, you do not need to split plastic packaging into rigid and flexible sub-categories. All plastic formats are simply recorded and reported under the single plastic category code.

Sources:

• Extended producer responsibility for packaging: who is affected and what to do