Packaging Price Tracker - 17th 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 pushed further into record territory this week, climbing £9.45 to £412.84 per tonne — confirming that last week's break above £400 was no anomaly. The material is now 186% above the equivalent week last year (£144.28), and the renewed acceleration suggests compliance demand remains firmly ahead of certified recycling supply. For plastic packaging buyers, the message is increasingly clear: the £400-plus level is now the operating reality, and forward budgeting should assume no near-term relief.

Paper PRN broke through £9.00 for the first time, rising 5.3% to £9.01 — now 401% above the equivalent week last year (£1.80) and quietly one of the standout risers of 2026 alongside the more dramatic Plastic and Wood moves. Wood itself held steady at £45.00 after weeks of sharp gains, offering a rare pause. Steel, Aluminium and Glass Other were all unchanged, with Glass Remelt essentially flat at £94.52. The broad pattern remains one of persistent upward pressure concentrated in Plastic, Paper and Wood.

On the fuel side, the latest confirmed GOV.UK figures (week commencing 13 July) show diesel at 164.52p/litre and petrol at 150.53p, with the week commencing 20 July data due imminently. After a remarkable 27p correction from April's peak, diesel has clearly stabilised, and petrol's recent uptick on renewed US-Iran tensions suggests the extended downward run has found its floor. With the diesel-to-petrol premium at its tightest of the year, buyers should look to secure favourable haulage terms now rather than waiting for further declines that may not materialise.

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