Labelling Solutions Streamlining labels By Jude Allan, MD at OPRL


border with the European Union (EU). The EU has now implemented its own PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation), which will become applicable from August, and we are anticipating a definitive announcement on labelling in the near future. The labels are expected to feature coloured icons for different materials. Once the PPWR label is finalised, the UK can take towards its own aligned label.


P


ackaging labelling is adapting to future legislation and trends. But without joined-up thinking, the process could be messy and costly.


How many packaging labels do you encounter during the course of a day? When I set out to find a figure for this article, I quickly discovered that there is no definitive answer. Audited data shows that we interact with more than 50 types of packaging every single day. AI extrapolated statistics to claim that we are each passively exposed to up to 3,000 individual labels per day.


Whatever the actual figure, we are on safe ground to say that it is ‘a lot’. While many labels typically remain constant, new regulations and trends call for new label designs. If we are to avoid the unnecessary costs, time and stress created by multiple design runs, we need to apply a holistic approach.


Three of the current challenges within packaging illustrate this perfectly. Labelling for recycling and food safety information are undergoing future policy shifts; at the same time, the current barcode system that underpins sales activity is being phased out. So what will these involve and how best can we navigate them?


The first – and crucial – step is to be aware. Change is sometimes communicated in silos, so those in the know around recyclability legislation may not be leaders on food safety.


Organisations also vary in size, with people from larger organisations unlikely to interact organically with colleagues from different departments. There will be no blueprint for making this happen, but reaching out to other teams will benefit everyone.


LABELLING FOR RECYCLABILITY Having operated the UK’s voluntary label for 17 years, OPRL is rooted in recyclability. We focus principally on the changes coming through Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) but also work within the wider labelling environment. We know that mandatory labelling under pEPR is planned for the future, but this was placed on hold in order to fulfil Brexit agreements relating to the Northern Irish


LABELLING FOR FOOD SAFETY New food safety labelling rules also relate to EU alignment, as the UK negotiates a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement on the trade and movement of plants, plant products, animals, animal products, feed and food. These arrangements will apply whether or not businesses trade directly with the EU and are likely to take effect in mid-2027. It is important to say that not all details are confirmed at this stage. However, changes to sector-specific rules such as food compositional and marketing standards rules may require information on food labels to be changed.


QR CODES FOR COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNICATION


Consumers may be showered with information from packaging, but they are also interacting at a deeper level. Project Sunrise 2027 – the GS1 (Global Standards 1) initiative to transition retail from traditional 1D barcodes to advanced 2D barcodes such as QR codes – provides a gateway to digital content, as well as allowing retailers to capture a wider range of information.


As supply chains have grown more complex, the need for a system that can single-handedly capture data like expiration dates or batch numbers has become more pressing. Switching to a 2D system enables a single barcode to serve multiple purposes. The goal of Project Sunrise is not to replace everything overnight, but to prepare the industry so that by 2027, retailers are equipped to scan these barcodes. In the near future, these three very different initiatives will each claim a new space on household packaging. As we navigate the changes, packaging suppliers and retailers need to be aware of adjacent requirements. Be aware, forge links and communicate, and the process will run more smoothly, at a substantially lower cost.


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July/August 2026


www.convertermag.com


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