Manufacturing & Engineering UK-wide

Which paper manufacturing regulations apply to your business

Making pulp, paper, board and paper products carries workplace-safety duties, a water-intensive environmental footprint, and product rules covering general product safety, food-contact materials and packaging producer responsibility.

Guide summary

You must follow workplace health and safety law, get environmental permits for water use and discharges, and meet product safety rules for paper products. Start by running a safe mill, then manage your environmental permits and water, and finally meet product rules for packaging and food contact. Use a compliance checklist to confirm you have covered everything.

  • Follow health and safety law (HASAWA 1974) for your mill
  • Get an environmental permit for your paper-making installation
  • Get a trade effluent consent for discharges to sewer
  • Get an abstraction licence if you take water from rivers or ground
  • Follow general product safety rules for paper products
  • Comply with food-contact material rules for food packaging
  • Register as a packaging producer and meet responsibility rules
  • Use the paper manufacturer compliance checklist to confirm
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Paper-making involves heavy machinery, steam and chemical processes, so workplace health and safety duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 apply. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulates in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland.

Paper-making is also water-intensive and tightly regulated for its discharges, and paper products carry their own market rules for product safety, food-contact materials and packaging.

What you need to do

  1. 1

    Run a safe mill and employ people

    Whatever you make, start with the universal spine. Follow "Set up and run a safe paper mill" for your health and safety, process-chemical COSHH controls, work equipment, manual handling, fire safety, insurance, equality and data protection duties.

  2. 2

    Manage your environmental permits and water

    Paper-making is water-intensive: you are likely to need an environmental permit for the installation, a trade effluent consent for discharges to the sewer, and an abstraction licence if you take water. Follow "Manage environmental permits and water at your paper mill".

  3. 3

    Place paper products on the market

    Meet general product safety, the food-contact materials rules for food packaging, and packaging producer responsibility. Follow "Place paper products on the market".

  4. 4

    Confirm you have covered everything

    Finish with the paper manufacturer compliance checklist to confirm your obligations are met.

Official sources

Authoritative starting points for paper manufacturing.