The ten-year voluntary agreement, supported by PackUK and the UK Government, is expected to broaden and accelerate the transition to a circular economy for packaging across the UK.
The UK Packaging Pact is the successor to the UK Plastics Pact, expanding the lens from plastics to all commonly used packaging materials.
WRAP said that this broader scope reflected the scale of the challenge facing industry and the need for coordinated intervention that spans formats, sectors and supply chains.
Catherine David, CEO of WRAP, commented: “Collaboration works and it’s delivering real change. Unrecyclable black plastic is gone, recycling is rising, and unnecessary packaging is disappearing.
“But the scale of the challenge demands more. Plastic pollution remains a global crisis, and with the failure to secure a global treaty, the need for bold, systemic action has never been greater.
“We must accelerate the step change to circular living, driving reuse, tackling plastic film, and enabling the impact of upcoming recycling reforms.”
‘Pooling expertise and insight’
The Packaging Pact has opened participation to organisations producing packaging for food and drink, beauty and personal care, pet products and household goods.
The intention is to overhaul packaging design across the board, optimise material use, and embed reusability and recyclability in mainstream practice.
According to WRAP, the Pact will apply a whole value chain approach, bringing together retailers, major FMCG brands, SMEs, recyclers, data specialists, academics and innovators.
This is designed to address systemic barriers and drive investment into the infrastructure and standards needed for a circular packaging system.
The Pact’s four goals are to:
- Optimise packaging
- Scale reuse and refill models
- Support investment in circular infrastructure
- Harmonise data to improve traceability and decision making
Mary Creagh, Circular Economy Minister, welcomed the commitment from early adopters: “Government and businesses must ensure packaging is used time and time again.
“Our new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme will turbocharge this shift to more sustainable packaging.
“I pay tribute to the 55 world-leading companies who have signed up to the UK Packaging Pact and pledged to go further and faster in delivering greener packaging.”
Jeremy Blake, CEO of PackUK, added: “No single organisation can solve the packaging challenge alone – but by pooling expertise and insights across industry and government, we can break down the barriers and accelerate the shift to truly circular packaging at scale.”
UK Packaging Pact signatories
The 55 founding signatories to the UK Packaging Pact are:
- Alpla UK
- Arla UK
- ASDA
- Aston Manor
- BBIA
- Belu Water
- Beyondly
- Biffa Waste Services
- British Beer & Pub Association
- British Plastics Federation
- Cherry Pipes
- CIWM
- Coral Innovations (T/A SURI)
- CTPA
- DAERA
- DS Smith
- Ecosurety
- Environmental Services Association
- Faerch
- Fenmarc Produce
- Futamura Chemical Company
- GoUnpackaged
- Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, University of Sheffield
- Grey Parrot
- GS1 UK
- Haleon
- Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP)
- IOM3 (Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining)
- KM Packaging Services
- Kraft Heinz Company
- KP Snacks
- Lactalis UK & Ireland
- Lakeland
- Lidl GB
- Mi Hub
- Mura Technology
- Ocado Retail
- Open 3P data standard
- Open Data Manchester CIC
- Open Data Services (ODS)
- PackUK
- Renewable Energy Association
- Retail Institute
- re-universe
- Robinsons Packaging
- Sharpak
- Suez Recycling and Recovery UK
- TerraCycle
- Tesco
- The Compleat Food Group
- University of the West of England (UWE Bristol)
- Veolia
- Woodly Bioplastic
- Xampla
- Yeo Valley
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