What is the UK Packaging Pact?
- The UK Packaging Pact (UKPP) is the successor to the earlier UK Plastics Pact. (WRAP)
- Unlike the Plastics Pact — which focused primarily on plastic packaging — the UK Packaging Pact widens scope to all packaging materials commonly in use (not just plastics) and covers a broader range of products and sectors. (WRAP)
- It is a voluntary, ten-year agreement (launching April 2026) bringing together businesses, recyclers, government, and innovators to reshape how packaging is designed, used and recovered. (WRAP)
- The core goals are to:
- Optimize packaging (e.g. eliminate unnecessary packaging, use less material). (WRAP)
- Scale reuse and refill — promoting reusable or refillable packaging systems rather than single-use. (WRAP)
- Support investment in circular infrastructure (collection, recycling, reuse systems, logistics). (WRAP)
- Harmonise data and improve traceability — to better track packaging use, materials, recyclability, and environmental impact. (WRAP)
- The Pact is supported by industry body PackUK, the UK Government, and is led by NGO WRAP. (WRAP)
Who’s Signed Up — Major Retailers & Other Founding Members
As of late November 2025, the first group of founding signatories — 55 organisations — have committed to the Pact ahead of 2026. (WRAP)
Notable members include major UK retailers, waste-management/recycling firms, and packaging-industry players:
| Retailers / Brands / Organisations |
|---|
| ASDA |
WRAP describes the Pact as engaging the “whole value chain”: retailers, FMCG brands, packaging producers, recyclers, NGOs, innovators and governments. (WRAP)
Why This Matters — Intended Impact
- From plastics to all materials: By widening focus beyond plastics, the Pact reflects growing recognition that “plastic only” strategies are insufficient. Packaging pollution — and resource waste — involves many materials (paper, metal, glass, mixed packaging). The Pact aims to address the full problem. (packagingstrategies.com)
- Push for circular economy: The emphasis on reuse/refill and infrastructure investment could accelerate a transition from single-use packaging to circular, sustainable systems. This is aligned with broader policy moves like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), simpler recycling reforms, and deposit-return schemes. (WRAP)
- Data and traceability: Harmonising data and improving traceability helps companies and regulators understand packaging flows — what’s used, what’s recycled, what’s waste — which is critical for effective recycling and accountability. (packagingstrategies.com)
- Systemic change via collaboration: The Pact brings together large retailers, packaging producers, waste-management firms, NGOs and policymakers — aiming for systemic change rather than isolated efforts. As WRAP’s CEO put it: “Collaboration works … but the scale demands more.” (WRAP)
Broader Context & What Preceded the Pact
- The UK Plastics Pact — launched in 2018 — demonstrated the power of voluntary business commitments: many UK supermarkets and manufacturers signed up. (The Guardian)
- Over the years, the limitations of focusing only on plastic became clear: other packaging materials, mixed materials, and lack of systemic reuse remained. Hence the shift to the more comprehensive UK Packaging Pact. (packagingstrategies.com)
- Earlier in 2025 (July), a number of the UK’s biggest grocery retailers and WRAP agreed a “Statement of Intent” to explore standardised reuse / refill systems in stores and online — setting the stage for the Pact’s commitments. (WRAP)
What’s Next — What to Watch For & Potential Challenges
- As the Pact is voluntary, its impact will depend heavily on how fully and quickly signatories implement the commitments (optimising packaging design, setting up refill/reuse systems, investing in recycling infrastructure).
- Consumer adoption: Reuse/refill systems may require changes in consumer behaviour (bringing own containers, returning packaging, paying deposits or deposits-back). Success depends on retailer convenience + public buy-in.
- Cost and logistics: Transitioning packaging, retooling supply chains, investing in infrastructure — this may pose cost and operational challenges, especially for smaller firms.
- Regulatory alignment: As the Pact overlaps with upcoming regulations (EPR, Deposit Return Schemes, etc.), coordination between voluntary commitments and mandatory rules will be important — to avoid regulatory conflict or duplication.
- Measuring success: Harmonising data and establishing robust metrics for packaging use, waste reduction, recycling/reuse rates, emissions — without good measurement, impact may be hard to confirm.
What This Means for UK Retailers, Suppliers & Consumers
- Retailers who signed up are signalling long-term commitment to sustainable packaging; this could influence procurement, packaging suppliers, and supply-chain operations.
- Suppliers and packaging producers will likely need to innovate — new materials, reusable packaging systems, modular / refillable packaging, improved recyclability.
- Consumers may begin to see more products in reusable/fillable containers, less excessive packaging, and clearer information about packaging sustainability. Over time, a shift toward a circular-economy mindset.
- Policy & regulation: The UK Packaging Pact may serve as a test-bed and feedback mechanism for broader regulatory reforms — giving industry a voice in shaping how new packaging laws & systems are implemented. (WRAP)
- Good request. It’s still early days for UK Packaging Pact (since it only formally launches in 2026), so concrete “after‑the‑fact” case studies are of course limited. But we do already have meaningful evidence from its predecessor — UK Plastics Pact — plus early reactions, commentary and expectations from organisations that have signed up to the new Pact. Below is a breakdown of relevant “case‑studies + commentary,” both from past packaging‑reform efforts and the early stage of the new Pact.
What we already know works — evidence from UK Plastics Pact (predecessor)
Before the UK Packaging Pact, the Plastics Pact functioned from 2018 and targeted plastic packaging only. The results offer useful lessons.
- According to the organisation behind the pact, problematic or unnecessary single‑use plastic items among signatories fell by 46%. (Wrap)
- Packaging on supermarket shelves decreased by about 10% in that time — meaning less total material used for comparable goods. (The Standard)
- Recycled‑content levels improved: reported recycled content increased, and plastic packaging recycling rates improved (from roughly 44% to about 52% by 2020). (Wrap)
- Specific retailer-led initiatives: some supermarkets removed plastic bags or unnecessary plastic films from produce or products (e.g. removing plastic from bananas, reducing film on vegetables) — small but concrete wins. (Wrap)
- In broader terms: the Plastics Pact is credited with cutting hundreds of thousands of tonnes of plastic, reducing CO₂-equivalent emissions (noted in the pact’s own reports). (Wrap)
Takeaway: The Plastics Pact demonstrated that voluntary, industry‑wide agreements can lead to measurable reductions in plastic waste, increased recyclability, and material reductions — giving a pragmatic foundation for the more ambitious Packaging Pact.
What the new UK Packaging Pact aims to accomplish — and who has signed on
With the new Pact, the ambition scales up: all packaging materials — not just plastic — across multiple sectors (food & drink, beauty, household goods, pet products, etc.) will be included. (Wrap)
As of November 2025, 55 founding organisations have signed up. (Wrap)
Some prominent signatories: (Wrap)
- Retailers / grocery‑brand owners: ASDA, Lidl GB, Tesco, Ocado Retail, Arla UK, Yeo Valley
- Waste‑management / recycling companies: SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd, Veolia, Biffa Waste Services
- Industry‑wide bodies & packaging stakeholders: PackUK, among others. (Wrap)
The goals set for the new Pact:
- Optimise packaging — remove or reduce problematic/unnecessary materials, redesign packaging for efficiency. (Wrap)
- Scale reuse & refill — shift from single‑use to reusable/refillable packaging systems. (Wrap)
- Support circular infrastructure investment — shore up waste‑management, recycling, recovery systems, making them fit for a broader range of packaging materials. (Wrap)
- Harmonise data & traceability — better tracking of packaging flows, material usage and recycling outcomes, to support transparency and evidence‑based improvement. (Wrap)
Commenting on the launch: the CEO of WRAP, Catherine David, said:
“Unrecyclable black plastic is gone, recycling is rising, and unnecessary packaging is disappearing. But the scale of the challenge demands more.” (Wrap)
Similarly, the CEO of PackUK stressed that “no single organisation can solve the packaging challenge alone” — highlighting the collaborative nature of the effort. (Wrap)
And a senior representative from SUEZ emphasised that expanding to all packaging — not just plastic — is essential to ensure the recycling and waste‑management system can adapt and keep up with the changes. (SUEZ UK)
The government’s reaction has also been supportive: Mary Creagh, UK’s Circular Economy Minister, commended the early adopters and linked the Pact’s ambitions with broader reforms (like upcoming Extended Producer Responsibility — EPR — and recycling reforms). (letsrecycle.com)
What this illustrates so far — early “case‑study style” inferences & expectations
Because the full implementation hasn’t happened yet, we only have early-stage signals — but they already show how the Pact could matter:
- The new Pact draws on proven progress under the Plastics Pact: previous reductions in plastic packaging and improvements in recyclability show that reform can work when industry collaborates.
- With such a broad group of signatories — from major supermarkets to recyclers — the Pact adopts a value‑chain approach (not just isolated pledges), which tends to be more effective. Collaboration across producers, retailers, waste firms and regulators may help avoid “leaks” (gaps where packaging escapes recycling or reuse).
- The expansion beyond plastic means the Pact isn’t just about “less plastic,” but about “better packaging overall.” This breadth could push more systemic change: redesign of packaging, reuse/refill options, improved recycling infrastructure, and data‑driven accountability.
- Because governments are concurrently rolling out reforms (EPR, recycling reforms), the Pact could function as a “test‑bed” for these — giving businesses a chance to adapt ahead of legal requirements, potentially smoothing the transition and aligning commercial incentives. (Wrap)
Risks, Challenges & Criticisms — What Could Limit Success
While the early signs are positive, there are still structural challenges (documented in prior Pact cycles) that could limit how much change actually occurs under the new Pact:
- Under the Plastics Pact, some waste streams — notably polystyrene, some films, hard‑to‑recycle plastics — remained difficult to eliminate or recycle fully. For example: while PVC packaging saw large reductions, polystyrene reductions lagged. (The Standard)
- Recycling infrastructure — especially for non‑plastic or mixed-material packaging — is more complex. The new Pact depends heavily on investment and upgrades in sorting, recovery and circular‑economy infrastructure. If those get delayed or under‑funded, the impact could be limited. Several Pact signatories emphasise this challenge. (SUEZ UK)
- Reuse/refill models are often harder to scale than “single‑use but recyclable” packaging: they require changes in consumer behaviour, reverse‑logistics, return systems — which tend to be costly, complex, and dependent on broad participation. That risk is well known from previous “refill initiatives.”
- Because the Pact is voluntary (not mandatory law), actual commitment, compliance, and consistency across signatories will matter a lot. Some companies may prioritize cost over sustainability depending on market pressures. The success under Plastics Pact was mixed — good progress on many fronts, but not a full elimination of problematic packaging. (packagingnews.co.uk)
What to Watch Over the Next 1–3 Years — What will really show whether the Pact “works”
If you were building a “watch list” / evaluation framework for the UK Packaging Pact’s success, these metrics and indicators would matter:
- Changes in the volume of packaging on retail shelves (total weight, number of items) — compared to pre‑Pact baseline.
- Proportion of packaging that is reusable, recyclable, compostable, or designed for reuse/refill.
- Amount and quality of investments into recycling / waste‑management infrastructure (e.g. sorting facilities, material‑neutral recycling capacity), especially for non‑plastic materials.
- Transparency/traceability: how many signatories publicly report their packaging footprints, material composition, recycling rates, reuse rates, etc.
- Consumer adoption rates: how many products actually shift to refillable or reusable packaging, and how willing consumers are to return/participate.
- Regulatory alignment: how the Pact’s voluntary commitments align with legal reforms (EPR, Deposit Return Schemes, “Simpler Recycling”), and how businesses respond when regulation becomes tighter.
Over the next few years, tracking these will provide the first “real” case studies of the new Pact — beyond anticipatory commentary.