Food companies are being targeted with fake invoices for new fees due under the extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) regulations.

“We are aware that some producers have received fraudulent Notices of Liability (NoL) purporting to be from PackUK,” the scheme’s administrator said on Wednesday, 19th November. These scam emails request payment via a link and claim that PackUK is issuing a recalculated NoL.” 

PackUK said it will “never send producers a payment link via email” and called on businesses to “be mindful that scammers may attempt to contact you via telephone or letter to perpetrate fraud”.

All NoLs are only issued through the Report Packaging Data (RPD) portal, which is the official government system, and there are no recalculations being issued at this stage of the EPR process. “Any legitimate recalculations will result in a new Notice of Liability being issued,” said PackUK.

The scheme’s administrator added: “Producers should remain particularly vigilant during periods of peak activity, such as when Notices of Liability are being issued. Please also be aware that scammers may attempt to contact you by phone or letter.” 

Those who want to check the validity of any communications, or believe you may have been a victim of a scam or attempted scam, should contact the EPR support desk by emailing eprcustomerservice@defra.gov.uk. 

Invoices for pEPR have started arriving with food companies in recent weeks. In October, the British Retail Consortium said that over 80% of costs of the new “packaging tax […] are likely to be passed onto already hard-pressed consumers”. BRC called for transparency in how the monies raised are being spent – that is, to accelerate the circular economy. 

The new scheme is designed to encourage the design of more sustainable single-use packaging, increase recycling rates and shift the cost burden from taxpayers to producers of packaging.

Dan Cooke, director of policy, communications and external affairs at the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management said EPR “is a game-changing opportunity to drive the transition towards a circular economy by aligning financial incentives with good environmental practice, and implements the ‘polluter pays’ principle to help secure the necessary investment to transform UK recycling infrastructure”.