The UK government has released an updated recyclability assessment methodology (RAM) under its Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) program, which seeks to shift the cost of managing household packaging waste from taxpayers to packaging producers. The methodology, published on July 1, 2026, by the official scheme administrator, PackUK, will be used by large packaging producers to assess and report the recyclability of household packaging they place on the UK market in 2027. Producers assessing packaging supplied during 2026 should continue to use RAM version 1.1.
A focus on real-world recyclability
The updated methodology aims to better align recyclability assessments with the realities of the UK’s collection, sorting, and recycling infrastructure. Compared with the previous version, RAM 2027 places greater emphasis on real-world recyclability rather than theoretical recyclability and introduces revised criteria for several packaging materials and formats.
For example, flexible plastic packaging cannot be considered recyclable under RAM 2027 because it is not currently collected, sorted, and reprocessed at scale within UK household recycling systems. However, this recyclability rating may be upgraded if producers of flexible plastic packaging can demonstrate that the packaging is collected and recycled through an approved take-back scheme.
Which packaging materials are covered?
The methodology covers a broad range of packaging materials, including paper and board, fiber-based composite materials such as liquid and non-liquid cartons, flexible plastics, rigid plastics, steel, aluminum, glass, wood, and other materials. Packaging may be assessed either as individual components or as integrated packaging items, depending on the design of the packaging.
How is packaging assessed?
Under RAM 2027, packaging is assigned a green, amber, or red rating, going from most to least recyclable. Assessments consider four stages of recyclability: collection, sortation, reprocessing, and application. To receive an overall green rating, packaging must achieve a green result at each stage. Packaging that achieves green or amber results throughout may receive an overall amber rating, while a red result at any stage leads to an overall red rating.
Certain types of packaging are rated red automatically, without requiring further assessment. These include packaging containing integrated electrical components, packaging containing substances of concern above applicable regulatory limits, printing inks not manufactured in accordance with the European Printing Ink Association exclusion policy, and packaging formats subject to regulatory restrictions or phase-outs. The methodology also automatically assigns a red rating to packaging containing more than 1 ppm total of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or food contact materials containing PFAS above 25 ppb, as well as food packaging that does not comply with applicable UK food contact material regulations.
What do ratings mean for producers?
The RAM ratings are expected to play an important role under pEPR because they influence how packaging is classified for recyclability reporting and are intended to incentivize the use of packaging designs and materials that are more readily recyclable within existing UK waste management systems. Producers that use packaging assessed as less recyclable may face higher fees under the pEPR scheme, creating a financial incentive to improve packaging design and material selection.
Early RAM data reveal limited recyclability
According to industry reporting, based on first-year RAM assessment data from the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), 89% of packaging was classified as either amber or red. The findings suggest that much of the packaging currently placed on the UK market continues to face challenges related to collection, sorting, or recycling infrastructure.
References
Defra (July, 2026). “RAM 2027 materials assessment guidance.”
Packaging Suppliers Global (July 16, 2026). “Defra data reveals 89% of packaging producers still use hard-to-recycle packaging.”
