Packaging Price Tracker - 10th July 2026

What are PRNs? Packaging Recovery Notes are compliance certificates that obligated UK packaging producers must purchase to prove their packaging has been recycled. The price reflects recycling market capacity — higher prices typically indicate tighter supply of certified recycling.

Why this matters for packaging buyers: HGV fuel surcharges typically track diesel prices with a 4–6 week lag. Diesel has now fallen for eight consecutive weeks, reaching 176.7p/litre — down 15.1p from its recent peak and at its lowest level since January 2026. The diesel premium over petrol has narrowed to 21.2p, its tightest since before the Middle East conflict. Eight weeks of sustained falls represents a significant market correction — buyers paying surcharges set at March or April levels are now materially overpaying.

About these fees: 2026/27 marks Year 2 of pEPR and the first year of eco-modulation, replacing the flat-rate fees of 2025/26 with a Red-Amber-Green (RAG) system tied to the Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM). Amber is the base rate shown above. Red-rated packaging (less recyclable) is charged at 1.2× amber; Green-rated packaging receives a discount. These are illustrative figures published by PackUK in December 2025 — confirmed fees will be published in June 2026. Wood sees the biggest increase at +60% vs 2025/26. Plastic remains the highest-cost material at ~£465/t amber.

Plastic PRN broke through the £400 barrier this week, rising £3.97 to £403.39 per tonne — a symbolic milestone and a fresh 2026 high. Having paused just below the threshold last week, plastic has now confirmed the level, and at 176% above the equivalent week last year (£146.34) the material remains under intense compliance-cost pressure. Breaking £400 is a psychologically significant moment for the market, and with no clear catalyst for a reversal, plastic packaging buyers should plan for compliance costs to remain elevated through the second half of the year.

Wood PRN continued its relentless climb, rising another 12.5% to £45.00 — now roughly 1,186% above the equivalent week last year (£3.50). Wood's ascent through 2026 has been the single most dramatic PRN story of the year, and it shows little sign of slowing. Elsewhere, movements were modest: Paper edged up to £8.56, Glass Remelt firmed slightly to £94.50, while Aluminium, Glass Other and Steel all held unchanged. The contrast between the explosive moves in Plastic and Wood and the relative stability elsewhere continues to define the 2026 compliance market.

Diesel's long decline may be nearing its end. Prices edged down just 0.25p to 164.52p/litre — technically a twelfth consecutive weekly fall, but the smallest of the run — while petrol rose 0.73p to 150.53p, its first increase in weeks, as oil markets reacted to renewed US-Iran tensions. The diesel-to-petrol premium has narrowed to 14.0p, the tightest of the year. After a substantial 27p correction from April's peak, the market appears to be finding a floor. Buyers should consider locking in favourable haulage terms now, while diesel remains soft, rather than assuming further declines.

Need sustainable packaging for your business?

From corrugated boxes to eco-friendly void fill — we supply the UK's leading retailers and brands.