Packaging data: how to create your file for extended producer responsibility

7.4.2026

  | Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs

 How to structure your packaging data submission. It includes information about the different types of data you need to submit and the codes you need to use. 


If you’re an organisation that supplies packaging to consumers and businesses in the UK, you may have to take action to comply with extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging.

Find out if you need to collect and report your packaging data.

When you need to take action
Large organisations need to submit data every 6 months. Small organisations submit data once a year.


Small and large organisations are also known as small and large producers. Find out whether your organisation counts as small or large for EPR for packaging.


Deadlines for reporting packaging data
Separate guidance explains the reporting periods and deadlines for submitting packaging data.


If you have not reported your data by the appropriate deadline, contact the environmental regulator.


What this guidance covers
This guidance is for:


organisations that need to collect and submit data about packaging they’ve supplied or imported through the UK market
compliance schemes who report packaging data for their member organisations

It explains:


the different types of data you’ll need to submit about packaging you’ve supplied
how to structure your data submission file
the codes you should use in your data file

Use the file specification for data from 2025 for current submissions. If you use a previous year’s template, this may cause an error.

Help making your file
If you need help creating a packaging data CSV, you can use the ‘generate a packaging data file’ tool to:


generate a valid packaging data file
check how your file should be structured before creating one yourself

Example of a packaging data file
You can also use the example packaging data files to see how you should structure your data submission.

How to submit your data
Submit your data using the ‘report packaging data’ service.

Get help and give feedback
If you have any questions, email the packaging team at packaging@defra.gov.uk.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/packaging-data-how-to-create-your-file-for-extended-producer-responsibility