Premium soft drinks brand Fentimans has told the government it will have no choice but to close down its operations if current proposals for extended producer responsibility (EPR) go ahead.
Fentimans claims it is one of many drinks companies considering its survival prospects after Defra published estimates for the cost of recycling of glass under the flagship scheme last month, at up to £300 per tonne.
Fentimans CEO Ian Bray, whose company specialises in botanically brewed products including the likes of ginger beer, lemonade and cola, said: “The current EPR proposals will lead to the death of Fentimans.
“If the government moves ahead with these plans as they stand, small businesses like ours will go bust.
“Fentimans has been selling quality soft drinks since 1905. It would be tragic if this inequitable policy destroyed our business after 120 years, just because it hasn’t been carefully thought through.”
Defra’s estimated base fees for glass under EPR, due to come in next October, were based on the dry weight of products, while other sectors have been calculated using Wrap estimates.
British Glass has called for the introduction of the scheme to be delayed, warning there will be “significant job losses” across the industry unless there is an “urgent and critical reassessment” of the fees.
Read more: Packaging tax: Defra’s eye-watering EPR recycling fees shock
Meanwhile, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has claimed the charges could add up to 7p on all of the 3.2 billion bottles of beer sold each year in the UK, a total of more than £200m.
The EPR proposals have caused ructions between glass manufacturers and the plastic and aluminium sectors, which are due to be part of the incoming deposit return scheme from October 2027, but will not be subject to EPR fees in the meantime.
Brands using glass claim it means the plastic and aluminium sectors will benefit from an additional two years without waste policy costs, which will further incentivise material switching.
“I know I’m not alone in being deeply concerned about the EPR scheme and what this will mean for other British businesses like us,” added Bray.
“Fentimans will always support sustainable practices and the principles behind the EPR scheme. However, in its current form, the EPR proposals unfairly impact glass when compared to other packaging materials such as plastic and aluminium, and we believe urgent intervention is needed.
“The current indicative EPR base fees, calculated based on the weight of packaging materials, place a disproportionate burden on the glass industry compared to other materials. These fees are much higher than we expected, and implementation without revision will be devastating for our business and will lead to investment being diverted outside the UK.
“It’s crucial that Defra avoids market distortion through EPR and develops a more equitable and competitive market for all packaging materials. We call on the government to consult further on the EPR fees, and to delay the introduction of EPR in line with the DRS introduction.”
No comments yet