Labelling Solutions
Consumer engagement equals EPR success
With legislation moving into place, it is time to ensure that consumers are given the tools to make pEPR work. Jude Allan, interim managing director at OPRL, explains.
mandatory labelling is back on the table. In the meantime, we know that brands see the value in labelling and acknowledge the need to prepare for pEPR. Last year, our community of nearly 950 members used our updated Online Labelling Tool to download a record 13,000 recycling labels. Our research shows that our ‘Recycle’ labels are in the top three recognised. At OPRL, we favour binary labels; ‘Recycle/Do not recycle’. This is in line with ISO 14021 for self-declared environmental claims such as recyclability and we believe they offer the clearest instructions.
We feel that ‘Do not recycle’ is just as important as the ‘Recycle’ label. When instructions are unclear, people often try to do the right thing by placing
non-recyclable items in the recycling bin. This can mean contamination that leads to a whole consignment of material being sent to landfi ll or energy from waste rather than being recycled.
So, what is the key to getting consumers on P 32
ackaging has never been a hotter topic. As we pass the April deadline for reporting under Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR), the demand for advice continues to grow. Back in November, the launch of OPRL’s new Recyclability Assessment Tool got off to a roaring start, with 250 assessments in the fi rst week. Today, as brands look to submit evidence on the recyclability of their packaging, we are helping even more companies to align their products with the red, green or amber status of the Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM). If the number of acronyms has you switching for the remote, remember that the winners in pEPR will be those that research, report and remodel. Assessing packaging for recyclability and developing new materials and technologies at speed is a signifi cant challenge, but those who do not respond will risk being left behind. If the overall goal is to reduce the impact
of packaging, then bringing citizens on board is vital. There is no point investing in design changes if members of the public continue to place the packaging in the wrong container. As producers take on fi nancial responsibility for waste packaging, then the more recycling we can facilitate, the lower the costs will be for producers. Put another way, if we do not get the public on board and show them what to do, costs will increase.
This is where OPRL comes in. Mandatory labelling was initially included as a key element of pEPR, but implementation was postponed due to concerns around harmonisation with EU labelling. Although the timeline has shifted, mandatory labelling for recyclability under pEPR is still imminent and likely to come into force in a few years. Those brands that have already allocated a space for a recycling label and addressed packaging recyclability will be several steps ahead of those scrambling to adapt when
board? The fi rst rule has to be consistent messaging. Many of the elements of pEPR will do the work behind the scenes, but once the legislative shifts are in place, we need to look to citizens.
With the release of the RAM, for example, packaging producers and suppliers now have a defi nitive list of recyclable and non-recyclable materials. From the end of March 2026, all local authority collections across England will be standardised. Under the modulated fee structure planned for 2026, non-recyclable packaging will be charged at a higher rate so brands will also start to look to redesign.
The aim of these initiatives is to incentivise design for recycling. Executed eff ectively, these changes will have a huge impact, but we must not overlook the fi nal link in the chain. If we are to control costs and meet the aims of pEPR, then waiting for mandatory labelling to communicate with customers will be too late.
April 2025
www.convertermag.com
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