Incomplete packaging weights for EPR: how to find and fill them

In October 2026 Anthesis listed incomplete packaging weights first among the problems it saw across clients in the 2026 reporting round. Here is where those gaps usually hide and how to close them.

Why the weights are missing

Business systems were not built for this. Orbitlex notes that ERP systems hold product weights, case weights and purchasing units rather than the weight of each packaging part. Holland & Knight wrote in July 2026 that producers had to collect data that often did not exist in the form reporting needs.

Which components get skipped

The main container is rarely the problem. EcoComply names poly bags, printed manuals and inserts as the most often missed, and tape, labels and void fill as easy to overlook. Add caps, seals, shrink sleeves and anything else that goes out with the unit.

How to get the number

Ask the supplier first. The SPDC field list treats component data as what you can reasonably request from packaging suppliers. Ask for the weight of the part alone, with the unit.
Weigh it when nobody answers. EcoComply's method: take one finished unit per SKU, take the packaging apart and weigh each component on a scale accurate to the gram.
Record quantity separately. A part used twice is one weight and a quantity of two. rePurpose Global called component quantity errors the biggest source of regeneration requests in its July 2026 write-up.
Keep the unit in its own column. CAA's schedules price per pound, so every weight must convert, and a bare number cannot.

How to find the gaps in a file

Blanks and stand-ins. Filter the weight column for empty cells, TBD, N/A and question marks.
Same part, different weight. Sort by component code. Two weights on one code mean a changed part or a typo.
Unit mix-ups. A gap of about 1000, 453.6 or 28.35 between two weights of the same part usually means grams against kilograms, pounds or ounces.
Totals. If you hold a total packaging weight per SKU, add up each component's weight times its quantity. A shortfall often means a part is not in the file.

Reports cannot be edited once submitted, Holland & Knight noted in July 2026, and it said self-identified inaccuracies corrected within 60 days of discovery will not incur financial consequences. Read the note itself and CAA's guidance for your case.

Sources

Opened on November 7, 2026. Programs change, so check the source before you rely on it.

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This page explains data handling. It is not legal advice.