Ministers announced plans on Wednesday (11 November) to reduce charges on highly recyclable materials, including glass, under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme.
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The Government also intends to introduce legislation to prevent hospitality businesses from effectively paying twice to recycle the same packaging.
Under the current system, pubs can face additional charges passed on by suppliers for glass bottles, despite already paying commercial waste contractors to collect and recycle them.
The BBPA said the proposed changes could save British brewers tens of millions of pounds.
Further changes needed
BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin welcomed the announcement but warned that further work was needed to ensure leased and tenanted pubs were included.
She said: “Across the beer and pub sector there will be much relief that the Government will reduce the costs of glass packaging fees and is also seeking to end the pernicious double charging that has been unfairly affecting Britain’s cherished pubs.”
McClarkin added that it was vital the 12,000 publicans running leased and tenanted pubs were included in the changes, warning that otherwise more than a quarter of Britain’s pubs could miss out.
She said: “The direction of travel will be warmly welcomed, but it is essential that the long-term cumulative impact of the UK’s packaging policies are taken into consideration if we are to have a prosperous beer and pub sector in every post code.”
The announcement follows repeated warnings from the sector over the impact of EPR charges, with pub operators previously criticising the scheme as a ‘stealth tax’.
The BBPA said it would continue working with the Government to ensure the proposed changes benefit pubs as well as brewers.
