The FPA Friday Digest
21 August 2026
This week we’re leading with a new practical resource for members. In response to a growing number of PPWR-related questions, the FPA’s SAGA Committee has produced a 20-page PPWR Compliance Guide to help businesses navigate the requirements already in force and prepare for those being phased in over the coming years. The guide covers areas including PFAS, recyclability, conformity assessment, Declarations of Conformity, labelling, reuse and refill, recycled content and producer responsibilities, as well as the differing position in Great Britain and Northern Ireland (see the FPA News and Events section for more details and to access the guide through the FPA Member Hub).
The guidance lands in a week when PPWR is again firmly on the agenda. DAERA has confirmed that a consultation on potential UK-wide regulatory consistency is being planned, while the European Commission has missed a key deadline for adopting harmonised PPWR labelling rules.
Closer to home, EPR producer guidance and RAM 2027 have been updated, Wales has appointed Exchange for Change to administer its Deposit Return Scheme, PackUK has launched a new digital service for local authorities receiving producer-funded packaging grants, and for the first time we're opening up sponsorship opportunities for this year's FPA Environment Seminar.
Further afield, we look at the latest Global Plastics Treaty developments, recycled-content rules in Europe and new packaging research and technology.
PACKAGING REFORMS UPDATE
Northern Ireland PPWR position puts UK regulatory consistency on the agenda
Much of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) began applying in Northern Ireland on 12 August under the Windsor Framework, creating a new layer of regulatory divergence within the UK.
DAERA has confirmed that Northern Ireland is now covered by PPWR provisions – including recyclability requirements, labelling rules and restrictions on certain single-use packaging. However, a number of areas are excluded, including reuse and refill targets, packaging EPR and DRS obligations, and recycling targets. Packaging first placed on the Northern Ireland or EU market must comply with the relevant PPWR requirements as they take effect, while packaging placed on the market in England, Scotland and Wales remains outside the Regulation.
Significantly, DAERA also says no decision has yet been taken on whether to align with PPWR more widely across the UK, but that a formal consultation on regulatory consistency is being planned. With PPWR requirements being phased in through to 2030 and beyond, the issue could have important implications for businesses supplying both Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Useful link:
NI Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs – Packaging and Packaging Waste
FPA comment: "The prospect of a consultation on regulatory consistency is significant for foodservice packaging businesses operating across UK markets. Greater consistency could reduce unnecessary complexity, but any proposal to align more closely with PPWR must be evidence-based, proportionate and considered alongside the substantial reforms already being implemented through UK pEPR, DRS and other packaging regulation. Businesses will need early clarity on how individual PPWR requirements would interact with existing UK schemes and sufficient lead time before any further changes take effect".
Wales appoints Exchange for Change as DRS administrator
Prospects for a more joined-up UK Deposit Return Scheme have received a significant boost after the Welsh Government appointed Exchange for Change to administer its scheme, meaning the same organisation will now oversee DRS across all four UK nations.
The appointment removes a major source of uncertainty around Wales’s ability to launch alongside England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in October 2027. Exchange for Change already administers the schemes in those three nations and industry has consistently argued that a common administrator is important to achieving an interoperable system.
The announcement comes amid renewed debate over whether industry has sufficient time and information to prepare. Earlier this week, the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) called for DRS to be delayed by at least a year, citing outstanding detail and particularly the absence at that point of a Welsh administrator. Exchange for Change subsequently rejected suggestions that the wider DRS launch was at risk, insisting preparations remained on track.
The Welsh appointment directly addresses one of those concerns, although differences between the schemes remain. Wales intends to include glass, unlike England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with a four-year transitional period from October 2027 during which glass containers will carry a zero deposit and will not be subject to DRS labelling requirements.
Attention will therefore now turn increasingly to the remaining operational detail and whether a single administrator can deliver sufficient interoperability despite differences in scheme scope.
FPA comment: "The appointment of a single administrator across all four nations is a very welcome step towards the consistency businesses have repeatedly called for. It removes a significant area of uncertainty, but there remains a great deal to deliver before October 2027. The priority must now be rapid clarity on the outstanding operational detail and ensuring that differences between the national schemes do not create unnecessary complexity for businesses or consumers".
PackUK launches digital service for local authority EPR packaging grants
PackUK has launched a new digital service giving local authorities across the UK secure access to information relating to their packaging EPR grants.
The Local Authority Payments service allows councils to view notices of assessment, grant determination letters and remittance documents, confirm or request changes to payment details, manage authorised users and raise queries with PackUK. The service does not calculate or process payments and does not change the way funding is distributed.
The portal is intended to provide a single point through which local authorities can manage the administrative information associated with producer-funded EPR payments.
Useful link: New digital service for local authority EPR for packaging grants
FPA comment: "Improvements that make the EPR system more transparent and easier to administer are welcome. Producers funding the system also need clear visibility of how that money is being used and the improvements in collection and recycling performance it is delivering. As pEPR beds in, demonstrating measurable outcomes from producer investment will be increasingly important".
West London to use EPR funding to improve communal recycling
Six west London boroughs are to use part of their packaging EPR funding to trial new approaches to recycling in communal housing.
The West London Waste Authority has launched a Communal Recycling Innovation Challenge on behalf of Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow and Richmond, which collectively received around £27m in pEPR funding. It is seeking proposals covering areas including collection systems, technology, communications and behavioural change to address the particular difficulties associated with flats and other communal properties.
The programme aims to increase recycling capture and food waste participation, reduce contamination and improve resident engagement, while generating evidence that could support wider adoption of successful approaches. Expressions of interest are due by 22 September, with the project expected to run from late 2026 into 2027.
FPA comment: "This is the kind of visible investment in collection infrastructure and performance that producers need to see emerging from pEPR. Communal properties are a recognised challenge and there is value in testing different approaches, provided the outcomes are properly measured and shared. Successful projects should offer evidence that can be scaled elsewhere and demonstrate the additional improvements being delivered through producer funding".
IN BRIEF
Two thirds of consumers plan to return drinks containers during shopping trips
New research commissioned by Danone suggests grocery shopping will become the most common opportunity for consumers to return drinks containers once DRS launches. Some 68% of those surveyed said they were likely to return containers during a grocery trip, while 55% said they would be likely to spend a refund voucher in the same store. The research also found 65% believed a consistent approach across the UK would make recycling easier.
E-commerce and EPR drive corrugated growth
Continued expansion in e-commerce and growing regulatory pressure around packaging are helping to underpin demand for corrugated packaging, according to analysis from Packaging News. The UK corrugated packaging market is estimated at around £3.16bn, with fibre-based formats benefiting from demand for recyclable packaging and increasing scrutiny through measures including pEPR, although manufacturers continue to face cost and supply-chain pressures.
ELSEWHERE ...
Wales sets 2040 net-zero ambition
The Welsh Government has begun work on its first Climate and Nature Action Plan, setting an ambition for Wales to achieve net zero by 2040 – ten years earlier than its existing statutory target – alongside 'substantive nature recovery' by 2050. A new Climate and Nature Board will help shape the plan, which is intended to establish a cross-government programme covering sustainable development, climate resilience and a just transition.
Foodservice inflation eases but drought raises fresh cost concerns
Food and drink prices across hospitality rose by just 0.2% month-on-month in July, a sharp slowdown from the 1.8% increase recorded in June, according to the latest Foodservice Price Index from NIQ and Prestige Purchasing.
However, the report warns that prolonged hot and dry weather is creating renewed uncertainty across foodservice supply chains. UK crops including broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, onions, carrots and parsnips have all been affected by moisture stress, raising concerns over yields, availability and the potential for further price increases.
EUROPE
Commission misses PPWR labelling deadline
The European Commission has missed a key deadline for adopting the harmonised labelling rules required under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), adding further uncertainty for businesses preparing for future packaging changes.
Under PPWR, the Commission was required by 12 August 2026 to adopt implementing acts setting out the harmonised label and specifications for packaging, the methodology for identifying material composition using digital marking technologies, and corresponding labels for packaging-waste receptacles. Those measures have yet to be adopted.
The delay does not mean new harmonised labels should already be appearing on packaging. Under Article 12, the main labelling requirement applies from 12 August 2028 or 24 months after the relevant implementing acts enter into force, whichever is later. The missed deadline therefore has the potential to push the effective date back and gives packaging producers less certainty over the specifications around which future artwork and production changes will need to be planned.
Separate harmonised labelling requirements for waste receptacles are also linked to the timing of the implementing legislation, applying from August 2028 or 30 months after adoption of the relevant act, whichever is later.
FPA comment: "Timely secondary legislation is essential if businesses are to plan packaging changes efficiently and avoid unnecessary redesign and cost. The delay underlines why clear guidance, realistic implementation periods and early engagement with industry are so important. Businesses need certainty over the final labelling specifications well before they are expected to make changes to packaging placed on the market".
EU Commission opens call for evidence about PPWR's recycled content targets
The European Commission has opened a call for evidence on the detailed rules that will underpin recycled-content requirements for plastic packaging under PPWR.
Feedback is being sought on three implementing measures: the methodology for calculating and verifying recycled plastic content; sustainability criteria for plastic recycling technologies; and the conditions under which recycled material produced outside the EU will be regarded as equivalent to EU material. The consultation closes on 16 September.
PPWR's first recycled-content targets are due to apply from 2030, including 30% for contact-sensitive PET packaging, 10% for other contact-sensitive plastic packaging, 30% for single-use plastic beverage bottles and 35% for other plastic packaging, subject to the Regulation's exemptions and implementation provisions. The methodology now being developed will therefore have a significant bearing on sourcing, traceability and the availability of qualifying recycled polymers.
FPA comment: "The detailed methodology will be particularly important for food-contact packaging, where availability, quality and safety requirements can significantly constrain the use of recycled polymer. Rules need to recognise those practical limitations while providing robust and workable traceability. Equivalent standards for imported recyclate will also be important if European manufacturers are to have access to sufficient compliant material without undermining environmental or food-safety requirements".
INTERNATIONAL
Legal campaigners urge rejection of latest plastics treaty text
Legal campaigners have called on UN member states to reject the latest document intended to guide negotiations towards a Global Plastics Treaty, warning that it represents a lowest-common-denominator approach.
The Aid to Negotiations, published by the chair of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on 8 August, is an informal reference document intended to support continuing negotiations following the failure to reach agreement at INC-5.2 in Geneva last year. UNEP confirms that the next in-person meeting of heads of delegation will take place in Bangkok from 27–30 September, ahead of INC-5.4 in March 2027.
The Center for International Environmental Law argues that the document fails adequately to address contentious issues including plastics production, chemicals and decision-making, and has urged governments to reject it rather than settle for a weaker agreement simply to secure consensus.
Researchers propose global plastics reporting framework
Researchers from the US and China have proposed a standardised global reporting framework to support any future UN Global Plastics Treaty, arguing that major gaps in existing data make it difficult to measure progress on tackling plastic pollution.
Published in Science, the framework would track plastics across four areas: production and trade by polymer type; chemical additives; how plastic products are used and their lifespan; and what happens at end of life, including collection, recycling, incineration, landfill and mismanaged waste.
The researchers say current treaty proposals neither require new data collection nor harmonise the disparate datasets already available, making it difficult to establish a consistent global baseline or assess whether policies are working. Their aim is to develop a system that improves transparency while aligning, where possible, with reporting already undertaken by companies and governments rather than creating unnecessary additional burdens.
The work comes as preparations continue for renewed UN plastics treaty negotiations in March 2027.
OTHER NEWS
UK
Packaging Gateway: Packaging recyclability becomes a growing financial risk as EPR schemes increasingly link producer costs to packaging performance. Read more here
letsrecycle.com: Local authorities can now register for Digital Waste Tracking. Read more here
GOV.UK: Reforming the packaging waste recycling note (PRN) system – consultation outcome update. Read more here
letsrecycle.com: Polytag expands packaging tracking network to Crayford MRF. Read more here
RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY
Packaging Europe: Zerocircle introduces heat-sealable coating made from natural polymers. Read more here
Springer: Quantifying environmental impacts and user experience in sustainable food packaging design. Read more here
Packaging Insights: Polymateria technology enables 'full' biodegradation of PE and PP packaging. Read more here
Process and Control Today: Veolia reports successful destruction of targeted PFAS in UK testing. Read more here
Packaging Insights: SIG and Leibinger: Material and ink innovations cut dairy packaging waste. Read more here
EUROPE
Resource Media: EU action on PFAS highlights differing approaches to food-contact packaging in Great Britain and the EU. Read more here
Food Packaging Forum: Switzerland adopts packaging ordinance, fails to address identified concerns. Read more here
Packaging Europe: Revisit PPWR's B2B shipping rules, demands German rubber industry. Read more here
Packaging Gateway: EU packaging rules aim for consistency, but leave small sellers facing complexity. Read more here
Le Monde: EU plastic packaging reduction targets weakened from outset by industry lobbying. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Packaging Gateway: Egypt gears up to tackle packaging waste via EPR. Read more here
European External Action Service: EU-funded project strengthens Sri Lanka's readiness for PPWR. Read more here
Resource Recycling: PET in focus: Is help on the way? Read more here
Packaging Insights: SIG and Mengniu Dairy advance carton recycling in China. Read more here
FPA NEWS & EVENTS
New FPA PPWR Compliance Guide helps members navigate the latest EU packaging rules
The FPA SAGA Committee has produced a new PPWR Compliance Guide for members to help businesses understand the requirements of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and identify the actions they should now be taking.
Available through the FPA Member Hub, the 20-page practical guide has been developed specifically with the foodservice packaging sector in mind and reflects Regulation (EU) 2025/40 alongside the European Commission guidance published in June and its latest PPWR FAQs issued on 3 August.
It explains how responsibilities differ depending on whether a business is acting as a manufacturer, supplier, importer, distributor or producer and sets out the provisions already applicable following PPWR’s 12 August application date. These include the new PFAS restrictions for food-contact packaging, recyclability requirements, manufacturer identification and traceability, supplier documentation, conformity assessment and EU Declarations of Conformity.
The guide also looks ahead to requirements that will be phased in over the coming years, including harmonised labelling, compostability requirements for specified formats, takeaway refill and reuse obligations, recycled-content targets, packaging minimisation, empty-space limits, restrictions on certain single-use plastic packaging formats and reuse targets. A priority compliance table provides members with an at-a-glance indication of the deadlines and actions requiring the most immediate attention.
Importantly for UK businesses, the guidance also explains the different position in Great Britain and Northern Ireland and highlights the need for companies supplying EU markets to identify their role and responsibilities for each individual supply route.
With a number of PPWR implementing and delegated acts still outstanding, the guide will be reviewed and updated as further official detail becomes available.
FPA members can access the new PPWR Compliance Guidance now via this link or through the FPA Member Hub.
FPA comment: "The PPWR is complex, far-reaching legislation and we are receiving a growing number of questions from members about what it means for their businesses in practice. This guide has been developed to provide a clear, practical starting point, highlighting both the requirements already in force and those businesses need to prepare for next.
“Our thanks to the members of the FPA SAGA Committee for the considerable work they have put into navigating the legislation and the latest Commission guidance, and for bringing their expertise together to produce this resource in response to members’ needs. With further implementing and delegated acts still to come, we will continue to review and update the guidance as the regulatory picture develops”.
Put your brand at the heart of the FPA Environment Seminar
With the programme now taking shape for the 2026 Environment Seminar at Stationers’ Hall, London on Thursday 05 November, organisations have an opportunity to put their brand alongside one of the foodservice packaging sector’s most important days of environmental policy, regulation and debate.
This year’s agenda will look beyond where the industry is today to the issues that will shape 2027 and beyond. Sessions will examine EPR after its first year and what comes next; how government, regulators and industry can work together to build better regulation; manufacturing in a changing UK and European regulatory landscape; and the next generation’s perspective on sustainable packaging and product design.
Technology will also be firmly on the agenda, with a panel exploring the role of AI, life cycle analysis and emerging technologies in environmental decision-making, while later sessions will consider accreditation and consumer confidence and how regulators and industry can improve compliance in practice. Contributors currently listed include representatives from PackUK, the Environment Agency, CMA, INCPEN, Packaging Federation, SUEZ, the National Physical Laboratory, Carbon Trust, Sheffield Hallam University and the Vegetarian Society, with further speakers still to be announced.
A range of sponsorship options is available to help businesses build their profile around the event. Gold, Silver and Bronze partnerships offer varying levels of brand visibility, delegate places and networking presence, while individual opportunities include sponsorship of the drinks reception, tote bags, notebooks and pens, conference bag inserts and literature display.
Delegate tickets will be available to purchase shortly.
Confidential input requested
Businesses with concerns about how pEPR is operating in practice – including issues relating to scope, competition, enforcement or unintended consequences, are invited to share their experiences in confidence with the FPA. We also welcome intelligence on potential gaps in scope, market distortions or suspected avoidance behaviours, which can be shared in confidence.
This insight is invaluable in ensuring industry concerns are effectively represented in our ongoing engagement with Defra, PackUK and the Environment Agency.
Please contact the compliance team directly via compliance@foodservicepackaging.org.uk. All information will be handled sensitively and used to inform our evidence base and policy discussions.
EXTERNAL EVENTS & PARTNER NEWS
London Packaging Week returns to ExCeL next month
London Packaging Week returns to ExCeL London on 16-17 September, bringing together more than 5,700 packaging professionals, over 220 exhibitors and more than 90 speakers.
The programme will cover regulation, sustainability, artificial intelligence, materials and packaging development, with organisations including WRAP, PackUK, the British Retail Consortium, Food and Drink Federation, INCPEN, British Plastics Federation and RECOUP represented across the event.
Do you know a business that should join the FPA?
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