Packaging Producer Responsibility
Register for EPR, report packaging data, and meet recycling obligations through PRN/PERN purchases or compliance schemes.
Manufacturing & Engineering
UK-wide
Packaging Design Requirements
Meet essential requirements and labelling standards for packaging.
Guide summary
Follow packaging rules to reduce environmental impact and ensure safety. Use minimum weight, design for recycling, and limit hazardous substances. Label accurately if claiming recyclability.
- Use only necessary packaging weight and volume
- Design packaging for reuse or recycling
- Limit heavy metals to 100 ppm maximum
- Ensure recyclability claims match 75%+ UK local authorities
- Follow food contact rules if packaging touches food
- Provide Declaration of Compliance for plastic, ceramic, cellulose
- Keep full supply chain traceability records
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All packaging placed on the UK market must meet essential requirements covering minimum weight, recyclability, and hazardous substance limits. These requirements aim to reduce environmental impact while ensuring packaging serves its purpose.
Essential requirements
- Minimum weight: Use only the packaging volume and weight necessary
- Recovery: Design for reuse, recycling, or energy recovery
- Hazardous substances: Minimize harmful content
- Heavy metals: 100 ppm maximum for lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium
On-pack labelling
While OPRL labelling is voluntary, consumer protection law requires recyclability claims to be accurate. Claims should reflect what 75%+ of UK local authorities can actually recycle.
Food contact materials
Materials intended to contact food must be safe and not transfer harmful substances. The Food Standards Agency enforces these requirements under the Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (England) Regulations 2012.
General requirements:
- Materials must not transfer constituents in harmful quantities
- Must not change food composition, taste, or odour unacceptably
- Declaration of Compliance required at each supply chain stage
- Full traceability through supply chain
Plastics-specific rules: Plastic food contact materials have specific migration limits (10mg/dm² overall) and a positive list of authorised substances. New formulations require migration testing using appropriate food simulants.