EDANA Backs UK Industry Letter Seeking Review of Packaging Compliance Costs

EDANA joined UK industry associations in an open letter urging the British government to review the cumulative financial and administrative burden of packaging regulations, warning that overlapping compliance requirements were raising costs and could lift consumer prices. The appeal was made in a letter coordinated by the British Brands Group, according to B2B Marketplace.

EDANA's Letter to Treasury and Defra Ministers

The letter was addressed to Financial Secretary to the Treasury James Murray, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Emma Hardy, and Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds. EDANA, the Brussels-based non-profit association serving the nonwovens and related industries, was represented among the signatories by its Public Affairs Director, Brieuc Lits. The association joined organisations representing packaging manufacturers, plastics, absorbent hygiene products, cosmetics, food and beverages, construction and other industries.

The signatories raised concerns over the combined impact of Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility, the Plastic Packaging Tax, Packaging Recovery Notes and other emerging packaging requirements. They said businesses faced duplicative reporting requirements, inconsistent financial obligations and different compliance timelines, and that the administrative burden could rival or exceed the direct regulatory charges. The letter also warned that the European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation would add further compliance challenges for businesses exporting to the EU or placing products on the Northern Ireland market.

Sarah Garry, Chief Executive of the British Brands Group, urged the government to engage with industry representatives to identify unintended consequences and develop a more coherent regulatory framework. The signatories said their concerns were not directed at the environmental objectives of the reforms but at the complexity and cumulative costs arising from their implementation.

EDANA's Membership and Standards Work

EDANA represents more than 250 member organisations, according to akta.pro company records, and has supported the nonwovens industry since 1971. The same records show the association continued deep participation in ISO and CEN technical committees covering nonwovens terminology, personal protective clothing, incontinence products, biodegradability, geosynthetics and surgical gown barrier properties. In September 2024, EDANA and INDA announced a Letter of Intent to explore a strategic alliance, creating the Global Nonwovens Alliance.

Packaging Rules Across Other Sectors

Other companies have also engaged with packaging and product regulation. Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Danone committed to revise recycling claims on their plastic bottles after a European Commission dialogue, Mirage News reported on October 22, 2026. Toyota proposed a 'Made with Europe' regulatory approach for the EU auto industry, Just Auto reported on October 16, 2026. SGS reported on Connecticut's expansion of approved labelling language and symbols for products containing intentionally added PFAS, PRLog reported on October 21, 2026.

Costs Cited in the Letter

The letter cited a multinational company reporting that packaging-related costs in the UK were approximately twice those in comparable European countries, without a corresponding improvement in packaging recovery. One UK fine-fragrance importer reported that wood PRN prices had increased from approximately £7.50 per tonne in the previous year to more than £100 per tonne, while availability remained limited. Defra had estimated that pEPR would add 0.07 percentage points to the Consumer Prices Index and 0.37 percentage points to the Retail Prices Index, an assessment the signatories questioned for individual product categories.

The associations called on the government to assess the cumulative cost of packaging policies against their environmental benefits, simplify reporting obligations, improve regulatory alignment and provide greater certainty for long-term packaging investments, particularly ahead of the planned introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme for drinks manufacturers.