Packaging and packaging waste

You must comply with packaging regulations if your business manufactures, fills, supplies or handles packaging or packaging materials.

How you design, use and dispose of packaging can affect both your income and the environment. Although the amount of used packaging being recycled is increasing, businesses can do more to use less packaging, lower costs and reduce waste.

You should keep the packaging you use to a minimum and design your packaging so that it is easy to reuse and recycle. This helps to minimise the amount of packaging waste you and other parts of your supply chain have to dispose of.

Efficient use of packaging can benefit your business through reduced costs, a better relationship with stakeholders and customers, and new sales and marketing opportunities.

This guideline describes how to comply with the main packaging environmental legislation: the Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2015, and the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations, as amended. The Packaging Essential Requirements Regulations cover design and manufacturing aspects of packaging in the EU market, while the Producer Responsibility Obligations cover recycling and recovery.

The rules for UK businesses who handle and supply packaging are changing. If your business is covered, you have additional obligations since 1 January 2023 - Read about Extended Producer Responsibility here.