Packaging Price Tracker - 24th 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 on toward £425 this week, rising a further £9.72 to £422.56 per tonne — a fresh record and now 169% above the equivalent week last year (£157.07). The relentless climb through 2026 shows no sign of abating, and with each new high the pressure on plastic packaging buyers intensifies. Wood PRN also broke another round-number threshold, jumping 11.1% to £50.00 — a level unthinkable at the start of the year when it stood at just £15.00, and now 1,150% above the same week in 2025 (£4.00).

Paper PRN continued its rapid ascent, rising 8.2% to £9.75 and now closing in on the £10 mark — a remarkable 550% above the same week last year (£1.50). Aluminium moved sharply in the opposite direction, falling 7.2% to £62.19 as the material continues to unwind its earlier spikes. Glass Remelt firmed slightly to £95.00, while Glass Other and Steel held unchanged. The dominant theme of 2026 — steep, sustained inflation in Plastic, Paper and Wood — remains firmly intact.

The big shift this week came from fuel: diesel's twelve-week decline has decisively ended. Diesel rose 2.56p to 167.08p/litre — its first increase since April — as renewed US-Iran tensions drove crude oil prices sharply higher. Petrol climbed 1.76p to 152.29p. This confirms the turning point flagged in last week's tracker: the market has found its floor and reversed. Buyers who locked in haulage terms during the trough will benefit, while those who delayed may face renewed fuel surcharge pressure if the upward trend persists through August.

Need sustainable packaging for your business?

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