Jon Brookes
Chief Partnerships & Growth Officer, Ecosurety
New, complex packaging rules are tightening in the UK and globally. Access to detailed packaging data is essential for compliance, recyclability and cost savings.
Recent changes to packaging regulations — in the UK and globally — have been seismic. And more are on the way.
Still, this shake-up has been broadly welcomed by businesses, says Jon Brookes, Chief Partnerships & Growth Officer at Ecosurety, which helps major brands manage their packaging data.
“Most customers we talk to understand that we have to do more to encourage the recycling and reprocessing of packaging material,” he reveals. “We can’t just keep throwing stuff away. Of course, this means there are new commercial and reporting challenges to contend with — and we’ll see and hear frustrations around those. But, generally, the direction has been well-received.” No industry is exempt from this evolving regulatory landscape.
Greater packaging responsibility for producers
From a UK perspective, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) has been in effect for two years. It’s a major shift because it makes producers financially responsible for the entire lifecycle of their packaging. Affected businesses are now obliged to report data on the packaging they supply or import and pay waste disposal fees and administrative costs, where necessary.
This comes on top of the Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT), which has been in place since 2022, and applies to any business that has manufactured or imported plastic packaging with less than 30% recycled plastic.
If a producer is missing any data,
or if the assessment cannot be made,
the packaging will automatically default
to ‘red’ and a penalty will be charged.
Coming down the tracks is the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), due in October 2027. This involves certain drink producers paying a producer fee, reporting on the containers they place on the market, applying a deposit to each container and meeting specific labelling requirements. Mandatory labelling is also on the horizon and will involve strict recyclability labelling to help consumers dispose of packaging correctly.
Plus, from an EU perspective, Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) — which came into force last year and will generally apply from August — ensures that packaging must be recyclable, minimally wasteful and clearly labelled. “Businesses need to realise that increasing complexity in packaging regulation isn’t just happening in the UK,” says Brookes. “It’s also happening in Europe — and globally.”
Importance of high-quality, good coverage datasets
To mitigate the pressure of rising packaging compliance costs, producers must have access to high-quality, good coverage data sets. An in-depth level of detail about their packaging — including materials, weights, labels, inks etc — will provide them with strategic insights to inform their decision-making, improve recyclability and ultimately reduce financial burden.
The ability to drill down into data is important because modulated fees are a component of Extended Producer Responsibility. This means the amount producers pay will vary, depending on the recyclability of their packaging.
“Recyclability methodology assesses packaging data and places it in ‘red’, ‘amber’ or ‘green’ categories,” explains Brookes. “A good quality dataset enables an effective recyclability assessment. But if a producer is missing any data, or if the assessment cannot be made, the packaging will automatically default to ‘red’ and a penalty will be charged.”
Part of Ecosurety’s role is to help customers find and gather the data they need — including data buried in their supply chains — so that it can be mapped, validated and used for effective reporting and strategic insights.
Yet good packaging data isn’t only necessary for compliance purposes, notes Brookes. It can also give businesses a commercial edge. “They can see which elements of their packaging are driving fees,” he says. “So, it’s not just about environmental outcomes. Companies are enabled to build more compelling commercial business cases for improving packaging as they can see the clear pound note upside.”
For any brands preparing for the next phase of packaging regulations, Brookes has this advice. “I’m going to sound like a broken record,” he says. “But you need to focus on getting granular, component-level data, and then work on a clear plan to maintain it. It will reduce your pain points going forward and speed up the reporting process.”
