Packaging Price Tracker - 22nd May 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 fell for a fifth consecutive week, reaching 185.07p/litre — down 1.53p on last week and now 6.73p below its recent peak of 191.8p. The diesel premium over petrol has narrowed to 26.3p, its lowest since before the Middle East conflict began in February. Haulier fuel surcharge adjustments are now overdue given the sustained five-week decline.

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 prices pushed to yet another 2026 high this week, reaching £348.92 per tonne — up £12.26 on last week and now 137% above the equivalent week in 2025 (£147.31). The unrelenting upward trajectory is a clear signal to procurement teams that plastic compliance costs are structurally elevated, not temporarily spiked. With Q2 positions still to close and recycling capacity showing no signs of meaningful expansion, buyers dependent on plastic packaging should be factoring this level — or higher — into forward cost modelling.

Paper PRNs continued their six-week upward run, edging up to £7.50 — now 233% above the same week last year (£2.25). Wood PRNs rose sharply again to £20.00, up 12.9% on the week and a material to watch closely given its 60% increase in illustrative pEPR fees for 2026/27. Glass PRNs saw a notable pullback on both grades — Other fell to £95.72 and Remelt dropped to £96.83, easing after several weeks of steady rises. Steel continued its correction, falling to £42.00, while Aluminium held flat at £60.00 for a fifth consecutive week.

Diesel fell for a fifth consecutive week, reaching 185.07p/litre — down 1.53p on last week and 6.73p below the recent peak. The diesel-to-petrol premium has now narrowed to 26.3p, its tightest since before the Middle East conflict. Five consecutive weeks of falls is a sustained enough trend that buyers should be actively pushing back on haulier fuel surcharges — the underlying data now supports that conversation.

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