UK packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR)
Producers now pay the full net cost of collecting and managing household packaging waste under regulations in force since 1 January 2025, with plastic…
Rigid packaging
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UK Plastic Packaging Tax
A per-tonne tax on plastic packaging containing less than 30 percent recycled content, rising with inflation each April.
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EU ban on bisphenol A (BPA) in food-contact materials (2024/3190)
Bans bisphenol A and related bisphenols in food-contact plastics, coatings, inks and adhesives; in force since January 2025, with the main prohibition binding from…
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UN Global Plastics Treaty (Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee process)
The legally binding global instrument on plastic pollution mandated by UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) Resolution 5/14 in 2022 remains unagreed after six negotiating sessions.
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Look for Plastic Free and How2Recycle labels
Vague eco claims are everywhere; third-party marks such as Plastic Free Certification, Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) and How2Recycle tell you what the packaging is…
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Garden without plastic pots, mulch and twine
Nursery pots, plastic mulch and polypropylene twine are rarely recycled; terracotta, coir, paper pots, jute twine and organic mulch replace them.
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Bring a container or use a return scheme for takeaway
Takeaway containers are the heaviest single-use plastic most people handle; returnable-container schemes reach payback in three to four years for venues.
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Buy dry goods from bulk or refill stores
Rice, pasta, nuts, cereal and cleaning products from refill stores go into jars you already own and cut hundreds of packets a year.
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Reuse and refill systems
Not a material but a system: returnable or refillable packaging that avoids single-use waste entirely, with 35 to 70 percent lower greenhouse gas (GHG)…
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Bio-PE and bio-PP drop-in plastics
Polyethylene made from sugarcane ethanol; chemically identical to fossil PE, recyclable in the same stream, and not biodegradable.