BHETA webinar - plastic packaging tax implications

Date: 10th November 2021
Location: On-line

The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) is hosting a webinar for all UK housewares, DIY, garden and small electricals suppliers on the implications and preparations required ahead of the forthcoming plastic packaging tax legislation which comes into force in April 2022.  Key speakers, Paul van Danzig and Alyce Morris from BHETA business service provider, Wastepack will be outlining everything that supplier companies need to do to comply with the forthcoming legislation.

The webinar takes place on November 10th and is a ‘how-to’ guide in terms of supplier preparation for the tax.  While this is a BHETA member event, non-members who operate in housewares, DIY, small domestic electricals and garden are welcome to speak to BHETA member services with a view to treating the event as a taster session.

Under the new legislation, from April 2022 all plastic items used in the packaging of products must include a minimum of 30% recycled content, or face taxes of £200 per metric tonne of chargeable plastic packaging components.  All suppliers whose products include any plastic component – recycled or not - must submit details to HMRC from April 2022. There is then a threshold for payment of taxes.

The webinar will help delegates understand their obligations under the 2022 Plastic Packaging Tax, and if needed, how to submit relevant tax returns. There will also be a fifteen minute Q&A after the presentation.

The event is aimed at any home or garden business which manufactures or imports plastic packaging, including ready packaged goods.  The webinar will also cover off certain single-use products which might be categorised as packaging for the purposes of the tax.  Specific content includes:

  • Which packaging is liable to the tax?
  • Which products are liable to the tax? (Giving examples)
  • If you are liable what you need to do to prepare
  • When and how you need to inform HMRC

The webinar follows on from BHETA’s successful lobbying campaign to clarify the definition of plastic packaging which ultimately led to the exclusion of multi-use plastic such as home storage containers, lunchboxes and garden planters and storage from the scope of the legislation.   

With the focus now on plastic packaging and single use plastic, the BHETA webinar is all about informing all suppliers whose packaging includes any kind of plastic what the tax implications will be going forward.

BHETA marketing manager, Steve Richardson who co-ordinated the lobbying initiative said, “The amended legislation follows the principle BHETA championed that ‘single use plastics’ are much more challenging for the environment than ‘multi-use’ products.  In accordance with this, members need to be aware that any plastic packaging or single use items for home and garden will be liable to the plastic packaging tax.  The draft legislation also sets out that single use plastic items for home use, such as carrier bags and plastic cups, are within the scope of the tax.”

Chief Operating Officer of BHETA Will Jones added, “When this draft legislation was originally made public for consultation, it was made clear that the tax framework that was conceived, and previously presented, as a measure ‘to encourage the use of recycled plastic … within packaging.’  This is entirely laudable but to comply it is vital that suppliers understand both the scope and the reporting processes in detail, as well of course as the financial implications. This BHETA event will clarify all these points.”

BHETA regularly lobbies on subjects affecting housewares, small electricals, DIY and garden members.  It also provides member training and retail networking events, up to the minute data on market opportunities compliance advice.  To find out more, contact Zara Miah at the BHETA member services team on 0121 237 1130 or alternatively, email on zm@bheta.co.uk

www.bheta.co.uk/events/how-to-guide-for-the-plastic-packaging-tax/