Applying for registration and accreditation as a reprocessor or exporter 

HowFirst-time toregistration: applyhow forto a new registration    apply

Complete the application form

Complete the relevant application form for your registration.

Reprocessors must complete a separate registration application for each material, for each site.

Exporters must complete a separate registration application for each material..   

For example, a reprocessor who has 3 sites each recycling plastic and paper packaging waste will need to apply to register each material at each site, so 6 registrations would be required. An exporter who exports wood and glass packaging waste will need to apply to register each material separately, so 2 registrations would be required.  

Complete the registration samplingSIP and inspection plan template

As part of your application, you need to provide a sampling and inspection plan (SIP) to explain how you:

• determine the UK packaging waste proportion of the waste you receive for recycling or export for recycling overseas
• will carry out sampling and inspection of the waste you’re receiving or exporting
• will keep records and evidence to demonstrate compliance with the conditions of registration and their waste recording and reporting obligations

Complete and upload the SamplingSIP and inspection plan part 1 template: registration.

There are different templates to complete, depending on whether you’re a reprocessor or an exporter. There is also supplementary guidance to help you complete the template.

Exporters:Exporters applying for first-time registration: provide details of overseas reprocessing sites (ORS)

If you’re an exporter, you also need to provide the following details about any ORS to which you send your packaging waste at registration:registration:  

• name of the site
• address
• co-ordinates
• the ‘recovery process’ that will be used to recycle the waste
• contact details of an individual at the site

The co-ordinates must be the latitude and longitude of the main road entrance to the site. You need to provide them to 4 decimal points (for example 53.3829, -1.4265). You can find the co-ordinates using any digital or physical map.

In your registration, you must list all the ORS you intend to send waste to, even if you do not want to apply for accreditation for them. 

Upload the overseas reprocessing and interim sites template to give the ORS details.   

You must provide details of the ‘end-destination’ ORS.. You You do not need to provide details about ‘broadly equivalent standards’ when applying for registration.

Exporters:Exporters applying for first-time registration: provide details of interim sites sites

You also need to provide details about: 

• any site that receives the waste before it reaches the final reprocessing site – known as an ‘interim site’
• what happens to the waste at that interim site – for example, cleaning, bulking and sorting

You must list all the interim sites you intend to send waste to, even if they will not be covered under any subsequent accreditation (i.e.(that is, will not be used to facilitate export of packaging waste to ORS covered by your accreditation). 

You must update these interim site details if anything changes after you have been registered.      

How to maintain your registration

Once your registration is granted, you need to maintain it forannually. each calendar year. To do this, you must:

• ensuremust your registration data is up to date with any significant changes to your business or its operations by informing your regulator directly of any changes
• pay the annual registration maintenance charge to your regulator by 30 September eachevery year

You needfollowing to pay the annualinitial registrationyear maintenanceof charge for each registration you hold.registration.

YouDetails doabout notthe needpayment toare takein any additional actions on the ‘Recordcharges reprocessedsection orof exportedthis packaging waste’ (RREPW) service to maintain a registration.guide.

Who can apply for accreditation  

If you want to issue PRNs and PERNs you must be accredited. This is in addition to being registered.

To apply for accreditation, you must be a reprocessor or exporter established in the UK and be either:

• actively receiving, treating and recycling waste
• exporting packaging waste to be recycled overseas

 InIn both cases, once reprocessed, it must need no further processing and meet end of waste status.

You also must hold a registration, or have already submitted a registration application for the material you want to be accredited for. You can still apply while you’re waiting for a decision on your registration.

What ‘established in the UK’ means

You mustYou must be established in the UK to be accredited.

An individual must be habitually resident in the UK – this means they must have their main home in the UK with some degree of permanence.

Companies must be registered in the UK (under Part 2 of the Companies Act 2006) or have their head office or principal place of business in the UK.

Companies registered overseas who have a UK address or a UK branch office cannot apply for accreditation even if they are registered with Companies House as an Overseas Company.

How to apply foror areapply newfor accreditation

CompleteNew accreditations: complete the application form

Complete the relevant applicationrelevant application form for your accreditation.

Reprocessors applying to accredit a material for the first time or at a new site need to complete a separate application for each material at each site.

 ExportersExporters applying to accredit a material for the first time need to complete a separate application for each material.

If you want to apply for an accreditation that starts before 31 December 2026, you need to contact your regulator.  

You need to provide all the information detailed in the following section. 

SelectReapplying for accreditation: use the RREPW service

If you already hold an accreditation for 2026 and are applying for the same accreditation again in 2027, use the RREPW service.

Approved accreditations will always expire on 31 December. If you want to continue issuing PRNs or PERNs in the next year, you must reapply for accreditation.

The approved person (or someone nominated by them and approved by their regulator) must be the one to submit the application.

When you sign in, you’ll be able to view all your existing accreditations and their related data. Go to the RREPW homepage portal for the relevant accreditation and select the option to reapply.

You must:

• make necessary updates to the required details
• upload your SIP part 2
• upload any supporting documents as required

You will be also able to:

• change your tonnage band
• change who has authority to issue for the next compliance year
• update your business plan

Exporters will also be able to:

• select which of their existing registered and accredited ORS to include in that accreditation application
• add new ORS to that accreditation application
• remove ORS that were previously in the accreditation
• add new interim sites to that accreditation application
• upload evidence about broadly equivalent standards
• provide ‘rejection and returns’ details

Information you must provide when applying for accreditation

Select your tonnage band

As part of your application, you need to select the ‘tonnage band’ you want to apply for, depending on how many PRNs or PERNs you want to be accredited to issue in that year.

There are 4 bands available, and a corresponding accreditation charge for each band:

• up to 500 tonnes
• up to 5,000 tonnes
• up to 10,000 tonnes
• more than 10,000 tonnes

ChargesYou can find the charges for each tonnage band arein listedthe under‘charges’ Whatsection you’llof havethis toguide. pay. You can increase your tonnage band during the year if needed.

Complete the accreditation samplingSIP and inspection plan template

Complete and upload the SamplingSIP and inspection plan part 2 template: accreditation .. You must use the template provided. 

Provide a business plan for your PRN and PERN revenue

As part of each accreditation application ,application, you need to provide information about your business and how you propose to use your revenue from these PRNs or PERNs.    

You need to set out the proportion of the revenue that you intend to spend on each of the following activities:activities:  

• investment in infrastructure for recycling or exporting, including both the development of new infrastructure, and support and maintenance of existing infrastructure
• price support provided for buying packaging waste or selling recycled packaging waste
• support for business collections
• communications, including national and local information campaigns, and direct contacts with suppliers
• the development of new markets for materials or goods made from recycled packaging waste in the UK and overseas
• the development of new uses for recycled packaging waste
• other activities

You will then need to provide a short explanation of what you propose to do with the PRNs or PERNs revenue on each of the activities that you’ve said you intend to spend on.on.  

This is a section of the application, not a separate document.

At the end of the year, you’ll need to supply an annual report showing your actual spend on each activity and explaining any significant deviation from what you said in your business plan.

Identify who can issue PRNs and PERNs

As part of your application, you need to state which people within your organisation you would like to have the authority to issue PRNs or PERNs under each accreditation.

These are known as PRN and PERN signatories.

Exporters: add your overseas reprocessing sites (ORS)  

You can only issue PERNs for UK packaging waste exported to and received by ORS if you are accredited at the time of export and at time of receipt at the ORS. The export starts at the point of loading and must take place on or after the valid from date of the ORS specified on your accreditation.           

If you’re already registered for the material and so have an existing ORS log, you need to add the details of any new sites to your ORS log.

If you’re not already registered for the material, you’ll need to apply for registration and accreditation in parallel, which means completing a new ORS log with all the site details.

Select which ORS you want to include in your accreditation by completing columns S to U on the ORS log you used in your registration application.

If you need to add more overseas sites to your application while it’s in progress, put the additional sites on a new sites template and send it to your regulator. This will restart the 12-week timeline for assessing your application.

When reapplying for an accreditation on the RREPW service, you do not useneed this template, check the ‘How to reapply for accreditation’ section.

There is a charge of £328 for each ORS you add to an accreditation.

Exporters: add your interim sites

If you export packaging waste to an ORS via an interim site which handles the waste first, you must include details of these sites on your overseas reprocessing and interim sites template.

Exporters: provide evidence of broadly equivalent standards 

You have to provide evidence to demonstrate that the recycling operations on each of your ORS is carried out to ‘broadly equivalent standards’ (BES) to those that apply in the UK.

You do not need to provide BES evidence for EU or OECD overseas reprocessors, but you should hold it on file and you may be asked for it.

You must:

• be able to show on request that the packaging waste was accepted and recycled by the site you named and that it is appropriately permitted
• have an audit trail which includes any interim sites used

When exporting to sites outside the EU or OECD, you must provide evidence of BES in  in your accreditation application. For details about the required evidence, see the list of broadly equivalent standards for packaging and equivalent standards for WEEE and batteries.. 

When you’re reapplying on the RREPW service, you can upload the evidence as part of your application.

For new accreditations, you need to upload the evidence after you’ve submitted your application form. Check how to upload your BES documents.  

Make sure the documents that you upload:upload:      

• relate to the overseas reprocessing site in your application
• have a valid date at the time you submit your application
• refer to the reprocessing activity and the conditions and standards it needs to operate
• include a photocopy of the original document (and an English translation if necessary)
• have an official stamp on the original document from the competent authority (if it is an environmental licence)

You must supply a copy of the original licence if you are submitting an extension or renewal.

For waste subject to notification controls, you need to have a notification in place before you export.

You do not need specific evidence if you fulfil all 5 of these conditions:   

• the packaging waste is separated at source, or processed, to ensure it is exported for reprocessing within a shipment of similar material – for example, if the shipment contains steel drink cans and steel scrap and is not a general mix of different materials (such as paper and plastic), or a mixture of different grades of the same material (for example, different plastic polymers)
• there is a well-established international technical specification for the exported packaging waste material that your consignments meet
• the material needs only limited processing overseas before it is recovered, and the recycling process has losses that meet EU industry standards
• processing the waste material before recycling does not include hand-sorting that may cause significant harm to human health
• the material goes through a recognised form of recycling, and is unlikely to cause significant harm to the environment

You are only likely to meet these conditions for exports of metal packaging waste, including metal packaging waste within shipments of the right grades of scrap metal. When you apply for accreditation you must tell us that your process meets all these conditions. You must keep documents to this effect.

Exporters: provide details of ‘rejections and returns’ arrangements

If you’re an exporter, you will also need to provide details of the arrangements you have in place with each overseas reprocessing site for ‘rejections and returns’.

Use the overseas reprocessing and interim sites template to do thisthis and and submit it at registration.  

‘Fit and proper person’ requirement

As part of assessing your application, regulators will determine if your organisation is a ‘fit and proper person’. Read guidance explaining how regulators determine fit and proper person status..  

How to reapply for accreditation

Approved accreditations will always expire on 31 December. If you want to continue issuing PRNs or PERNs in the next year, you must reapply for accreditation.

You reapply for accreditation through the RREPW digital service. The approved person must be the one to submit the application.

When you sign in, you’ll be able to view all your existing accreditations and their related data. Go to the RREPW homepage portal for the relevant accreditation and select the option to reapply.

You must:

• make necessary updates to the required details
• upload your SIP part 2
• upload any supporting documents as required

You will be also able to:

• change your tonnage band
• change who has authority to issue for the next compliance year
• update your business plan

Exporters will also be able to:

• select which of their existing registered and accredited ORS to include in that accreditation application
• add new ORS to that accreditation application
• add new interim sites to that accreditation application
• upload evidence about broadly equivalent standards
• provide ‘rejection and returns’ details

After you’ve applied for registration or accreditation

For all new registrations and accreditations, once you’ve successfully submitted an application, you will need to check how much to pay and pay the relevant charge for each application.application. 

Once you have submitted an application on RREPW, the service will show how much you need to pay and the payment reference.

It’ll also show the payment details for BACS payments.

Regulators will not be able to start reviewing your applications until they are paid in full.

Your regulator may need to make queries or ask for additional information when reviewing your application. Your regulator will notify you if this is the case. You will be able to update the information you have previously submitted when reapplying for accreditation on the RREPW service. 

Your application assessment can only continue once you’ve resubmitted.

If an element of your application cannot be approved, you must withdraw it or amend it. If you do not, the whole application may be refused. The regulators cannot approve some parts of your application and fuserefuse others.others.   

Before a decision is made on your registration and accreditation applications, an officer from your regulator may carry out an inspection of your business premises.

The regulations allow regulators up to 12 weeks to approve registration and accreditation applications. If you submit and pay for registration and accreditation applications at the same time, the 12-week determination period will cover both applications.applications.   

Once your application has been determined, you’ll receive a message from the regulators with details about their decision (whether it’s been granted or refused) and the applicable conditions of registration and accreditation.

Application outcomes and appeals

Successful applications: comply with conditions

If your registration application is successful, you must comply with the conditions of registration.   

If your accreditation application is successful, you must also comply with any conditions of accreditation.    

It is an offence to include false or misleading information in your application for registration or accreditation.

Successful applications: you will appear on the public register

The details of your registration and accreditation will appear on a public register, as required by the law. This will include the name and address of your registered office or your main place of business for each facility, among other details.details.  

View the public register of reprocessors and exporters.

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, we publish details of the registrations and accreditations held by the registered organisation..      

Refused applications

Your registration and accreditation applications may be refused. In the event of a refusal your regulator will notify you of the decision and explain clearly why your application has been refused.refused. 

If your application is refused, you will not be refunded your application charges.

You have the right to appeal a refusal.refusal.  

How to appeal

If you are in England or Wales you can appeal against a refusal by submitting representation to the General Regulatory Chamber of the First Tier Tribunal Service. 

If you are in Northern Ireland, you can apply to the Planning Appeals Commission.

If you are in Scotland, you can apply to the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division.

Charges  

The following charges apply to reprocessors and exporters from 1 January 2026.

The charges will be subject to annual increases starting on 1 September 2027 as set out by the regulations.

Registration charges

You must pay an initial charge for each registration when you first apply.

Following your first-time registration, you will then need to pay an annual registration charge, for each of your active registrations. This is payable by 30 September every year, starting in 2026.

If your application is refused, you will need to pay the charge again if you reapply.

Type of registration	Charge
First time registration, per material	£3228
Annual registration (payable annually by 30 September, from 2026)	£1571

Accreditation charges   

If you wish to become accredited to issue PRNs or PERNs, you must also pay the charge for the relevant tonnage band.band. 

The amount you pay depends on the amount of PRNs and PERNs you plan to issue for the UK packaging waste you recycle or export for recycling in the year.

You must pay the accreditation tonnage charge when you apply for accreditation.accreditation. 

If your application is refused, you will need to pay the charge again if you reapply.

Accreditation tonnage band	Charge
Up to 500 tonnes	£546
Up to 5,000 tonnes	£2184
Up to 10,000 tonnes	£3276
Over 10,000 tonnes	£3965

Charge to upgrade your tonnage band

You can upgrade your accreditation at any time if you if you want to issue more PRNs or PERNs than your current tonnage band allows.allows. 

You can upgrade your tonnage by paying £100 plus the difference between the band you’re in and the band you need to upgrade to.

For example, to upgrade from up to 500 tonnes to 5000 tonnes, the additional cost would be £1738.

You may upgrade from one band to another one that’s not consecutively above it, and there is no limit once accredited for the highest tonnage band. You cannot downgrade tonnage bandings in year – only upgrade.

If you do not pay the additional chargecharge, you will not be able to issue PRNs or PERNs beyond the tonnage band for which you are accredited.

Exporters: charge to add an overseas site 

There is no charge for adding overseas sites tosites to an existing registration.

Exporters must pay an additional charge of £328 per overseas site they add to an accreditation. This applies both when submitting an initial accreditation application andapplication  and also when seeking approval of additional overseas sites in-year.in-year.    

Charge to amend sampling and inspection plan (SIP) or business plan

The charge for amending a SIP or business plan after they’ve been approved by the regulator is £574.£574.    

This charge applies when you upload an updated SIP after an application has been granted. There is no charge for amending a SIP during the application process.     

Charges if an application is refused

If your application is refused, you will need to pay the charges again if you reapply. 

How to pay

All payments for applications, including registration maintenance charges and the charge to reapply for accreditation, must be paid directly to your regulator. They are not made through the RREPW digital service.     service.