The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the government’s final response to the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP)’s report on the implementation of the water framework directive regulation and river basin management planning. This follows the publication of the government’s interim response in July 2024.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the summary of responses and government response to its consultation on discards reform. Defra has confirmed that while some of the original proposals are being brought forward, in consideration of the responses to this consultation, other proposals have been amended.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the government response to the recommendations made in the independent review of the protected site management on Dartmoor. The response includes the government's agreement that the Dartmoor National Park Authority's Partnership plan offers that which is required to make progress on Dartmoor, agreement with the importance of transparency, clarity and accessibility of protected site monitoring data and that Natural England has appointed a Principal Adviser to lead communications for Dartmoor.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published guidance for developers looking to buy statutory biodiversity credits. The credits are intended as a last resort for those developers unable to use on-site or off-site units to deliver biodiversity net gain. In order to apply for credits, developers must make an application via the Government Gateway.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published guidance for small producers, outlining their obligations under the extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging scheme. The guidance details the registration process, the data that must be collected, reported, and recorded, as well as the relevant submission deadlines. It also sets out what small producers must pay under the EPR scheme, while noting that they are exempt from waste disposal fees and packaging waste recycling note requirements.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published guidance on the new mandatory registration and voluntary accreditation process for packaging waste reprocessors and exporters under the extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme for 2026. Application forms will be available from 1 September 2025, and regulators will have 12 weeks to determine applications. The guidance also sets out detailed requirements for documentation, payment procedures and evidence submission.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published guidance for drinks businesses in England and Northern Ireland on implementing the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), set to launch on 1 October 2027. The guidance specifies the types of drinks containers included and excluded from the DRS and outlines the responsibilities of suppliers, producers, and retailers within the supply chain. It also details exemptions for low-volume products, the role of the Deposit Management Organisation to be appointed in April 2025, and identifies the enforcement authorities responsible for ensuring compliance with the regulations.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published guidance on closed loop recycling under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging. The supporting regulations are expected to come into force on 1 January 2026. Under this guidance, large producers can offset the closed loop packaging waste they collect and recycle against the household packaging they supply, subject to specific conditions. The waste must consist of food-grade plastic packaging, be collected by the same producer who supplied it, and be recycled by a single reprocessor into food-grade plastic materials.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published guidance on the implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging, focusing on payments to local authorities (LAs). From 2025, certain organisations and businesses will be required to pay fees for packaging supplied to or imported into the UK. The guidance outlines how LAs will receive payments to cover the net costs of managing household packaging waste. It also provides a timeline for the scheme's rollout, payment structure, and calculation methods. Additionally, it specifies the steps LAs must take to participate in the scheme, including registering for the new local authority payments (LAPs) function within the EPR digital service, which launches in November 2024. The guidance also details the actions required after LAPs opens.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published guidance, outlining how organisations obligated under the extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging scheme can register with environmental regulators and pay the required registration fees. The deadline for registration and fee payment is 1 April 2025.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published guidance on how extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging applies where companies merge or where ownership of a business or brand is transferred. The guidance applies where at least one of the companies involved was already registered for EPR for packaging. It clarifies that mergers and changes of ownership are treated differently from joining or leaving a group, with separate guidance on mid-year group changes to be published.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published guidance outlining recording and reporting requirements under extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging waste by reprocessors and exporters. Accredited operators are required to report on a monthly basis, with submissions due by the 21st of each month, a requirement that commenced from February 2026. Registered-only operators must submit quarterly reports before the 21st of the month following the end of each quarter, commencing from April 2026. In addition, both accredited and registered-only operators are obligated to submit annual reports. Accredited operators must complete their annual reporting by 28 February in the year following the reporting period, while registered-only operators must do so by 21 March within the same timeframe. All operators must use the ‘Record reprocessed or exported packaging waste’ service to submit their reports and are required to retain supporting documentation for seven years.