What’s happening in the world of policy: June 2026
June has been another significant month for environmental policy, with important developments across both the UK and EU that will shape compliance requirements for businesses in the months and years ahead. From packaging reforms to product sustainability, circular economy initiatives, and evolving reporting obligations; the regulatory landscape continues to move at pace.
It’s been a busy couple of weeks here at Beyondly as we prepare for summer. I was down in London last week for Beyondy’s Net Zero Beyond Borders drinks reception in Parliament for Net Zero Week™, and our 20 Year Anniversary Celebration the following day at The Savile Club. It’s always a bit ironic when you’re melting in a 30°C+ heat while talking to companies, industry, and politicians about the circular economy… but on to the news from June:
UK
Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR)
Apologies to everyone but there is a reason this update has been delayed by a week or two… and it’s packaging related!
While June itself was quiet, the start of July has seen a couple of important updates:
RAM 2027 has been published for packaging placed on the market in 2027 which, rather than being a full overhaul of RAM v1.1, is all about refinement and clarity. PackUK have been taking on board feedback over the past year, and this clearly translates into the new release. The RAM is now split onto two pages; one for guidance and the other for material data points. The wording has been tidied up and standardised across materials, and we are seeing the beginning of real-world collection, sortation and recycling being reflected in the guidance.
Beyondly are working hard to update our resources in good time, but if you have any questions in the meantime, please speak to your account manager.
Also from PackUK was the announcement of a new resubmission deadline (originally 31 December, then 1 October, then 1 November, and now finalised as the 1 September). This deadline is in place so PackUK can assess the data and publish producers’ Notice of Liability (NoL) as early as possible, without worrying about resubmissions throwing the figures and the system ending up with a large funding blackhole as we had earlier this year.
This only affects resubmissions, with late submissions being charged at the same rate as everyone else. PackUK does reserve the right to amend NoL at a later date if needed, though they are looking at amending the regulations to allow for a balance or deficit to be carried into the following year. It is also worth noting that this does not affect PRNs - resubmissions carried out after 1 September will still result in a PRN recalculation by your compliance scheme.
The negatives here - while there are hopefully lots of bonuses, such as stability - are that producers will not get visibility of the finalised disposal fees until, potentially, mid/late November when the NoL are published. This is another nightmare for producers who will not receive full sight of the cost of their packaging until up to 23 months after it was placed on the market, but we have to remember that this is only Year 2 of the scheme. Once more years are behind us and there is more data in the system, we should start to see trends and be able to forecast ahead with greater certainty.
Batteries
All is quiet on the batteries front at the moment, with an expected consultation on adopting EU Batteries Regulation (EUBR) in the UK, originally planned for Autumn 2026, now being replaced with a reform update paper and the consultation expected for summer 2027. Looking at these timelines, it’s difficult to see how the EUBR could be implemented in the UK in time for 2028, which may throw off alignment of some key dates in the regulation between mainland Britain and the EU and Northern Ireland.
Deforestation
The Starmer government may be on the way out but, five years since the publication of the Environment Act 2021, they have finally announced direction of the UK’s deforestation regulation. Key takeaways are in alignment with the EU (we will have to see what this means on the issue of legal vs illegal deforestation), with businesses due to be consulted later in 2026 (the extent to which the upcoming cabinet reshuffle will delay this remaining unclear), and regulations to be finalised in 2027.
All we can hope for now is that the outgoing team also decide to the publish the M.I.A Circular Economy Growth Plan as they leave, too.
EU-UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
An EU-UK Summit was also scheduled at the start of July, to confirm formal alignment between our respective Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS). This would hopefully lead to mutual exclusion by 2029, though this has been delayed until we have a functioning government again.
Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR)
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) also published a SECR post-implementation review in June, concluding that the scheme is likely to remain in place, but with recommended improvements.
EU
I’m going to round off today with some key dates from the EU’s regulatory calendar:
1 July 2026 - The new €3 temporary duty, per item, for small packages imported into the EU comes into effect; increasing costs for businesses sending low value parcels into the EU.
19 July 2026 - The ban on the destruction of unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear comes into force for large enterprises under the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). This also coincides with the first reports for all discarded unsold consumer products due in 2026.
24 July 2026 - Consultation closes on informing the development of guidelines to support the implementation of CS3D. Developments of Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) are expected to continue over the coming months, following omnibus simplifications.
12 August 2026 - Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) go-live date! No reopening, delay, or major changes are expected in the coming month, though businesses are still worried about barriers to compliance in the final weeks, especially around PFAS and other Substances of Concern (SoC).
How can Beyondly help?
Keeping on top of environmental legislation is becoming increasingly complex, but Beyondly is here to help you navigate your obligations with confidence and support your sustainability goals. We provide expert solutions for businesses, across UK and international EPR compliance, PPWR readiness, WEEE and batteries compliance, carbon & energy, and more.
Explore our Policy News hub for the latest environmental legislation, expert analysis and guidance, or speak to our team today at [email protected] or 01756 794951 to find out how Beyondly can support your compliance and sustainability journey.