The UK Packaging Pact

Ahead of the official launch of the UK Packaging Pact in April 2026, on 27th November WRAP announced the names of the fifty-three founding organisations who’ve already signed up to the ten-year Pact to bring sweeping changes across all packaging materials.

Supported by PackUK, UK Government, and led by global environmental action NGO WRAP, the UK Packaging Pact will transform how we design, use, and recover packaging to reduce waste and emissions, better protect nature and put citizens needs at the heart of packaging decisions.

The UK Plastics Pact was launched by WRAP in 2018 and focussed on plastics and food and drink packaging.  Its successor is the new UK Packaging Pact, a voluntary agreement that widens the focus to all materials commonly used in packaging, and the range of sectors involved in the new programme. Now organisations producing products from food and drink, beauty care, pet products and household goods can join and transform packaging to optimise its use, expand reusability and fully integrate packaging into the circular economy.

The UK Packaging Pact will address all packaging materials, accelerating the UK’s transition to a circular economy through four ambitious, interconnected goals. Its goals are to;

• optimise packaging,
• scale reuse and refill,
• support circular infrastructure investment, and
• harmonise data – to improve traceability for more impactful decision making.

The UK Packaging Pact’s whole value chain approach will bring together academics, SMEs, innovators, leading retailers, FMCG brands, and recyclers for a whole system approach to revolutionise packaging in the UK and influence global markets. WRAP is in talks with many major brands, retailers and manufacturers across multiple sectors ahead of April.’

‘The UK Packaging Pact intends to fill the supermarket of 2035 with products in minimal, efficient packaging designed for reuse and remove single-use packaging from our everyday waste stream. It will usher in more widely used easily recyclable packaging, with reduced carbon. And it will continue to act to eliminate problematic and unnecessary packaging items following the success of The Plastics Pact which has acted as a lightning rod for industry. Behind the scenes, harmonised data systems and investment in circular infrastructure will ensure that everything citizens buy is made with the environment in mind and can be recovered and reused, never wasted.’

‘As major reforms including packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Simpler Recycling, and Deposit Return Schemes move into implementation, the UK Packaging Pact will assist businesses and serve as a test-bed for implementation and a feedback mechanism for future regulation.’

WRAP’s press release is published HERE.

 

REA amongst Founding Signatories of the UK Packaging Pact

The REA is amongst the 53 founding signatories from across the value chain who, together with PackUK and UK Government, support the WRAP-led UK Packaging Pact.

Emily Nichols, Technical Manager of Organics & Natural Capital at REA, said “We supported the UK Plastics Pact since its inception then joined the UK Packaging Pact because we believe networking and collaboration are essential to drive meaningful change. By working alongside industry leaders, we aim to accelerate innovation, reduce waste, and support the transition to a truly circular packaging system. This is collective leadership in action, and we’re excited to be a part of it.”

 

UK Plastics Pact Annual Report 2024-25

The UK Plastics Pact Annual Report 2024-25, published 27th November 2025, is the penultimate report of the UK Plastics Pact.

Thanking this Pact’s members for their continued dedication and collaboration, WRAP’s communication said ‘Despite significant headwinds, [the UK Plastics Pact members’] commitment has delivered tangible results. Since 2018, the Pact has driven market-wide transformation through voluntary action. Businesses across the value chain have continued to act ahead of regulation, demonstrating what is possible through collective leadership.’

 

UK Plastics Pact Member Data Report

The latest UK Plastics Pact Technical Report 2024-25 presents the data from the seventh full year of the Pact (2024) alongside revised data from the first full year (2018).

 

UK Plastics Pact achievements

This year’s annual report showcases the substantial progress made through UK Plastics Pact members’ efforts, highlighting innovation, collaboration and ambition across this membership.

• 700 million problematic plastic items removed from supermarket shelves.
• PVC reduced by 86% and polystyrene by 82%.
• 71.6% of plastic packaging now reusable, recyclable or compostable.
• Average recycled content increased to 28% across all packaging and 51% in PET bottles.
• 9 in 10 citizens now recycle regularly, with engagement sustained through national campaigns.
• 12% reduction in primary packaging bucking the EU trend.
• Industry-led innovation is driving new investment in UK recycling capacity, including tray-to-tray and film reprocessing.
• Members have delivered a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Compostable Packaging

Here at the REA we’ve checked through the latest annual report’s content relevant to compostable packaging and shown that below in this webpage.

Target 1: Eliminate problematic single use packaging through redesign, innovation or alternative (reuse) delivery models

‘Pact members have successfully eliminated over 700 million plastic items from the first iteration of the Elimination list (items 1-5), many of which have since been subject to regulatory bans.’

The Elimination List was extended in 2022 to include six more item types and 8 more item types in 2025. ‘Since [2022] the use of multi-pack wrappers, PVC cling film, non-compostable tea and coffee bags, non-compostable fruit stickers and sachets and jiggers used in restaurant settings has declined by 77.6%.’

Target 2: 100 % of plastic packaging is now reusable, recyclable or compostable

Since 2018, UK Plastics Pact members have achieved significant progress in improving the recyclability of plastic packaging across the supply chain. They have focussed on tackling hard to recycle plastics, improving recyclability, better data quality, strategic use of compostable packaging, pilot testing reusable packaging in the UK and uniting a global movement of innovators and leaders in ways that aim to accelerate a worldwide shift toward large-scale reuse systems.

Writing about compostable packaging, WRAP’s UK Plastics Pact Annual Report 2024 – 25 says ‘The use of compostable packaging, which represented <0.1% of primary packaging in 2018, has been cut by 99%. Although small in volume, compostable packaging can be used strategically to help capture food waste more effectively and reduce plastic contamination in compost. WRAP’s updated Considerations for Compostable Packaging guidance helps support decision making on its use.’ (The REA has responded each time WRAP has consulted on the content of this guidance, including during WRAP’s drafting its initial version.)

The progress made towards meeting Target 2 reflects strong advances in eliminating hard-to-recycle plastics and significantly improving recyclability rates, with overall recyclability now at 71.6%. However, challenges remain around film packaging and the transition to reusable models, where collaboration and innovation will be critical in the years ahead.

 

Carrying forward the legacy

WRAP’s communication about the latest UK Plastics Pact annual report acknowledged that ‘Two of the original [4] goals will not be met – showing where more work is needed’ and went on to say ‘The UK Packaging Pact will carry forward this legacy – addressing the system barriers to making packaging truly circular.’  WRAP thanked its UK Plastics Pact members’ ongoing commitment and said ‘Together, we are proving that transformation is not only possible – it’s already happening’.