Comment Eliminating confusion, implementing
consistency By Jude Allan, OPRL
we monitor local authority services and the collection levels closely.
Before the legislation came in, some materials had disparate coverage. For example, of the 317 councils in England, 92 per cent off ered glass recycling while 93 per cent collected rigid plastics – pots, tubs and trays. From a labelling perspective, glass and rigid plastics could both display the ‘Recycle’ label, but a segment of the population was still not able to include them in their collections. For the public, this situation can be highly confusing. At best, it raises questions around why services diff er; at worst, it can lead to disengagement and distrust around brand messages.
W
hen it comes to sustainability, we have been talking about Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) for some time.
If you read the industry press or engage with any membership organisations, you are probably familiar with recycling assessments or eco-modulation. However, the packaging reforms impact the full value chain, and packaging businesses may be less aware of the opportunities off ered by changes in other areas. Take Simpler Recycling. You may have read about changes to household recycling or the introduction of food waste collections in the local press. What may not have been obvious is how these changes will help to reduce pEPR costs or make life easier for brands and packaging suppliers.
The consistency of material collections that Simpler Recycling brings in allows brands to label their products with 100 per cent consistency and confi dence; they help to build trust in brand messaging and make sure that every consumer has the same opportunity to recycle. This should, in turn, lead to more recycling, and lower pEPR costs. As brands focus on gathering data and assessing their packaging for recyclability, consumers hold the key to whether products actually make it into the recycling system.
WHAT IS SIMPLER RECYCLING? Simpler Recycling applies to business and household waste collections in England, with the exception of
smaller businesses, which have until March 2027 to comply. The regulations stipulate that waste management fi rms and local authorities must collect glass, metal, plastic, paper and card separately from general waste, with separate collections for food waste. By 31 March 2027, plastic fi lm collections must also be in place.
WHY CONSISTENCY HELPS CONFIDENCE? The OPRL ‘Recycle’ label is only awarded to packaging that is collected for recycling by more than 75 per cent of UK councils. In addition to the collection requirements the packaging also has to be sorted using standard equipment, reprocessed and sold into end markets. To ensure that our labels are up to date,
The picture was similar for liquid cartons – our 2023 review found that 68 per cent of councils provided collections. Working closely with the industry body for carton recycling and evidence gathered from local authorities in England in preparation for Simpler Recycling, we were able to confi rm that from 1 April 2026, liquid cartons used for food, drink and other liquids — including aseptic and chilled formats — would be eligible to carry the OPRL Recycle label for kerbside collection.
WHAT ELSE IS NEW?
In addition to glass, rigid plastics and cartons, we are seeing more plastic items like toothpaste tubes and fl exible fi lm included in collections. While the 252 million tubes of toothpaste sold every year in the UK have been redesigned so that they can be included in plastic collections, fl exible fi lm faces other challenges. According to RECOUP, 80 per cent of local authorities will have collections in place by the deadline in 2027, but sorting and reprocessing capacity, and end markets for the reprocessed material are less certain. While OPRL’s latest research showed that 89 per cent of consumers look for recycling instructions on- pack, variations in services across the country have led to confusion. The introduction of Simpler Recycling provides a more joined-up system that directly links producer and supplier innovation to the council services funded by pEPR. This more circular approach brings clarity, confi dence and coherence. Consistent collections of materials across England and equivalent regulations in the other nations of the UK help to remove confusion around what can be recycled where. Clear on pack instruction for recyclability that consumers can act on with confi dence is essential to drive the results that the packaging reforms are designed to deliver.
10
April 2026
www.convertermag.com
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