What Is the UK Packaging Pact?

The UK Packaging Pact officially launched in April 2026, replacing the UK Plastics Pact that WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) introduced in 2018. The new pact is a ten-year voluntary agreement running to 2035, and it significantly broadens scope: where the old pact focused solely on plastic in food and drink, the new one covers all packaging materials across all sectors, including pet food, beauty care, household goods, and beyond.

The initiative is led by WRAP with backing from PackUK and the UK Government, and is designed to work in tandem with incoming statutory frameworks including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Simpler Recycling reforms, and a forthcoming Deposit Return Scheme.

“Collaboration works and it’s delivering real change. Unrecyclable black plastic is gone, recycling is rising, and unnecessary packaging is disappearing. But the scale of the challenge demands more. Plastic pollution remains a global crisis, and with the failure to secure a global treaty, the need for bold, systemic action has never been greater.”

Catherine David, CEO, WRAP

Who Has Signed Up?

Fifty-five founding organisations committed ahead of the April launch, spanning the full packaging supply chain:

Retailers

Tesco, ASDA, Lidl GB, Ocado Retail

Brands

Arla, Yeo Valley, KP Snacks, Kraft Heinz, Haleon

Waste & Recycling

Biffa, SUEZ Recycling & Recovery UK, Veolia

Packaging Manufacturers

DS Smith, Faerch, KM Packaging, Robinsons Packaging, Mura Technology, Xampla

Sector Bodies

PackUK, GoUnpackaged, Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining (IOM3)

“Government and businesses must ensure packaging is used time and time again. Our new Extended Producer Responsibility scheme will turbocharge this shift.”

Mary Creagh, Circular Economy Minister

The Four Core Goals

Member organisations commit to progressing against four workstreams:

Optimise Packaging Design

Reduce material use, increase recycled content, and eliminate unnecessary components.

Scale Reuse and Refill

Drive standardisation, develop interoperable systems, and grow the proportion of reusable packaging in circulation.

Support Circular Infrastructure Investment

Build the evidence base to unlock investment, identify system bottlenecks, and advocate for effective EPR funding flows.

Harmonise Data

Simplify reporting across UK and EU standards, improve traceability, and support better industry-wide decision-making.

“No single organisation can solve the packaging challenge alone – but by pooling expertise and insights across industry and government, we can break down the barriers.”

Jeremy Blake, CEO, PackUK

The EPR Backdrop

The pact launches at the same moment Extended Producer Responsibility comes into full effect in the UK. From 2026, UK Packaging PRO (administered by PackUK) formally appoints all obligated producers as responsible parties. A red-amber-green (RAG) recyclability rating system — the Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) — now determines the fees producers pay: green-rated widely recyclable packaging attracts discounts, amber-rated materials pay a baseline fee, and red-rated hard-to-recycle formats carry a surcharge.

+217%

Plastic PRN year-on-year rise
(Apr 2025 → Apr 2026)

£305

Plastic PRN price
week ending 10 Apr 2026

+158%

Steel PRN year-on-year rise
(same period)

These price signals create direct commercial pressure on producers to shift to more recyclable packaging formats.

What It Means for Businesses

For any UK business that puts packaging onto the market — whether a large retailer or an SME buying postal boxes and packing tape — the combined pressure of the UK Packaging Pact and EPR fee modulation points in one clear direction: packaging choices now carry a measurable cost and reputational dimension they did not carry five years ago.

RAM ratings affect your EPR fees directly

Packaging that achieves a green RAM rating will cost less under EPR than red-rated equivalents. Cardboard, mono-material paper mailers, and clear PET are well-positioned; multi-layer laminates and mixed-material formats face higher fees.

Registration and reporting obligations

Businesses with annual packaging tonnage above the obligated threshold must register with PackUK and submit packaging data. The 2026 calendar-year data is due by 1 April 2027.

Consumer expectations are shifting too

WRAP data indicates over 60% of UK consumers say sustainable packaging influences their purchasing decisions.

💡 Practical next step

For packaging buyers, reviewing current specifications against the RAM green/amber/red criteria — and switching where viable — is the most direct lever available to manage EPR cost exposure in the short term.

Sources