The Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) is now firmly embedded in UK packaging compliance. Every large obligated producer must declare a Red, Amber, or Green rating for each household packaging component they place on the UK market. From the 2026-2027 compliance year, those ratings directly determine how much you pay in EPR fees, with Red-rated packaging attracting a multiplier that will escalate to 2.0x by 2028-2029.
The good news: improving your RAM rating is often more achievable than producers expect. Many packaging components sit in the Red or Amber category not because of fundamental design limitations, but because of specific material choices or structural decisions that can be changed without a complete redesign of the product or its packaging.
This article walks through five practical, high-impact changes you can make to shift packaging components toward a Green RAM rating. Each tip targets specific stages of the RAM assessment process, and we explain exactly why each change moves the needle.
How the RAM Assessment Works: A Quick Refresher
Before diving into the tips, it helps to understand the five stages that determine your RAM rating. A packaging component is assessed sequentially through each stage, and it must pass all five to receive a Green rating.
- Classification – What is the material and format?
- Collection – Is it collected via UK kerbside or bring-site schemes?
- Sortation – Can MRFs (materials recovery facilities) identify and separate it?
- Reprocessing – Can it be converted into secondary raw material?
- Application – Do viable end markets exist for the recycled output?
A failure at any single stage downgrades the overall rating. The tips below target the most common failure points and show you how to address them.
Switch from Multi-Material to Mono-Material Packaging
This is the single most impactful change you can make. Multi-material packaging — think laminated pouches that combine layers of plastic, aluminium foil, and paper — is one of the most common reasons packaging receives a Red RAM rating. The problem is structural: these layers cannot be separated during the mechanical sorting process at UK MRFs, which means they fail at the Sortation stage. Even if the individual materials are recyclable in isolation, the composite structure makes them unrecyclable in practice.
Switching to a mono-material alternative, such as a mono-PE (polyethylene) or mono-PP (polypropylene) flexible film, allows the packaging to pass through Sortation as a single identified material stream. Mono-material films have also seen significant advances in barrier properties, meaning the switch is technically feasible for many food and consumer goods applications that previously required multi-layer structures.
If a full mono-material switch is not immediately feasible, consider reducing the number of layers or using materials from the same polymer family. For example, replacing an aluminium-based barrier layer with an EVOH layer within a PE-based structure can sometimes preserve performance while improving recyclability outcomes.
Eliminate Black Plastic Pigment
Black plastic packaging pigmented with carbon black is one of the best-known recyclability problems in the UK, and for good reason. The near-infrared (NIR) sensors used by MRFs to automatically identify and sort plastic types cannot detect carbon black pigmented materials. The sensors rely on light reflection to determine polymer type, and carbon black absorbs NIR wavelengths completely, making the plastic invisible to sorting equipment.
This means black plastic fails at the Sortation stage of the RAM assessment, resulting in either a Red or Amber rating depending on the specific material and other factors. The packaging physically cannot be directed to the correct recycling stream because the infrastructure cannot see it.
The fix is relatively straightforward. Replace carbon black pigment with a detectable dark pigment. Several suppliers now offer dark-coloured masterbatches that are compatible with NIR sorting. These alternatives achieve a very similar visual appearance — deep blacks, dark greys, and dark greens — while remaining detectable by standard MRF equipment. The cost premium is modest and typically negligible at scale.
This swap alone can shift a component from Red to Amber or even Green, depending on how the rest of the packaging performs across the other RAM stages. It is one of the lowest-effort, highest-return changes available.
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Use Easily Separable Labels
Labels are a frequently overlooked component that can drag down an otherwise recyclable package. The RAM considers labels as part of the packaging system, and their material, attachment method, and coverage area can all affect the overall assessment.
Full-sleeve shrink labels are particularly problematic. When a plastic bottle or container is wrapped in a full-body shrink sleeve made of a different polymer (e.g., PVC or PETG sleeve on a PET bottle), the MRF's NIR sensors may identify the sleeve material rather than the container material. This causes the entire item to be missorted, which constitutes a failure at the Sortation stage.
There are several practical improvements you can make:
- Reduce label coverage to less than 60% of the container surface area. This allows NIR sensors to read the container material directly.
- Use labels made from the same polymer family as the container. A PP label on a PP container, or a PET label on a PET bottle, avoids cross-contamination during reprocessing.
- Switch from full-body shrink sleeves to adhesive labels with water-soluble or alkali-soluble adhesives. These separate cleanly during the washing stage of reprocessing.
- Avoid metallised or heavily printed labels that can contaminate the recycled material stream and cause failures at the Reprocessing stage.
Under RAM v1.1, the specifications around label coverage and adhesive composition have been updated, so ensure you are working from the latest guidance when making these changes.
Choose Widely Collected Materials
Even if your packaging is made from a perfectly recyclable material, it will fail the RAM's Collection stage if that material is not widely collected through UK kerbside or bring-site infrastructure. Collection is the second stage in the RAM assessment, and no amount of reprocessing capability matters if the material never makes it into the recycling system in the first place.
Materials with mature, widespread UK collection infrastructure include:
- PET (polyethylene terephthalate) – bottles and trays widely collected at kerbside
- HDPE (high-density polyethylene) – bottles and containers widely collected
- Paper and cardboard – one of the most collected materials in the UK
- Glass – well-established kerbside and bring-site collection
- Aluminium – cans and foil widely collected at kerbside
- Steel – cans collected at kerbside in most local authorities
Materials with more limited or inconsistent UK collection include polystyrene (PS), PVC, and many flexible plastic films (though front-of-store collection schemes are expanding for PE films). If you are using a material that falls outside the widely collected categories, consider whether a material switch is feasible.
This is particularly relevant for newer or less conventional materials such as bioplastics, compostable packaging, and certain fibre composites. While these materials may be sustainable in principle, they can fail the RAM if UK collection infrastructure does not accommodate them. The RAM assesses recyclability based on what actually happens in the UK system today, not what could theoretically be recycled.
Reduce Unnecessary Packaging Layers and Components
Every additional component in a packaging system is another item that needs to be assessed under the RAM, and another potential failure point. Complex packaging designs with multiple components — inner trays, outer sleeves, plastic windows, additional wrapping — each add compliance complexity and increase the likelihood that at least one component receives a poor rating.
Beyond the RAM rating itself, additional components increase the total tonnage reported, which directly increases your EPR fee base. Reducing packaging layers is therefore a double win: fewer components to assess and less total weight to pay fees on.
Consider these practical approaches:
- Remove unnecessary overwraps and outer sleeves if the primary packaging provides adequate product protection and consumer information.
- Consolidate multi-component packaging where possible. For instance, replacing a separate tray-and-lid design with an integrated container reduces the number of components.
- Eliminate non-functional packaging elements such as decorative card sleeves or plastic windows in card boxes. If the component does not serve a functional purpose (product protection, regulatory information, or transport integrity), question whether it is needed.
- Right-size your packaging to reduce void space. Smaller packaging uses less material, reduces tonnage, and often simplifies the component structure.
There is also a broader strategic benefit here. Simpler packaging is faster to assess, easier to report, and more predictable in terms of RAM outcomes. The fewer variables in your packaging design, the more control you have over your compliance costs.
Prioritising Your Quick Wins
Not all five tips will apply equally to every packaging portfolio. The right starting point depends on your specific materials, formats, and tonnage distribution. Here is a practical framework for prioritisation:
- Audit your current ratings. If you have not yet assessed your full portfolio, start there. You need to know which components are Red, which are Amber, and which are Green before you can prioritise improvements.
- Rank by tonnage. Focus on Red-rated components with the highest tonnage first. These represent the largest fee exposure under modulation.
- Assess effort vs. impact. Some changes (like swapping from carbon black to detectable pigment) are low-effort and high-impact. Others (like moving from multi-material to mono-material films) may require supplier engagement, testing, and longer lead times. Start with the easy wins and plan the bigger changes over the next 12 months.
- Engage suppliers early. Many of these changes require coordination with packaging suppliers and manufacturers. Start those conversations now to avoid bottlenecks.
The Fee Modulation Incentive
Remember, the financial gap between Red and Green ratings widens every year: 1.2x in 2026-2027, 1.6x in 2027-2028, and 2.0x in 2028-2029. Every component you shift from Red to Green before the multiplier increases saves more money in each subsequent year. The earlier you act, the greater the cumulative saving.
Common Misconceptions
Before wrapping up, it is worth addressing a few misconceptions we frequently encounter.
"Compostable packaging gets a Green RAM rating." Not necessarily. The RAM assesses whether packaging is recyclable within the UK's existing recycling infrastructure, not whether it is compostable. If compostable packaging enters the standard recycling stream, it can contaminate recycled material, which means it may actually fail at the Reprocessing stage. Unless a compostable material has its own dedicated collection and reprocessing pathway that covers at least 75% of the UK population, it is unlikely to receive a Green rating under the current methodology.
"Recyclable in theory means Green in practice." The RAM is deliberately based on actual UK infrastructure, not theoretical recyclability. A material might be technically recyclable, but if there are not enough MRFs that can sort it or enough reprocessors that can handle it at scale, the rating will reflect that reality. This is a common stumbling block for novel materials and niche packaging formats.
"We only need to worry about the primary packaging." All household packaging components must be assessed, including secondary and shipment packaging if it reaches the consumer. Labels, closures, sleeves, and other subsidiary components all count. A Green-rated bottle with a Red-rated sleeve still has a Red component in your data submission.
Moving Forward
Improving your RAM ratings is not a one-time exercise. As the methodology evolves (RAM v1.1 has already introduced updates to additive thresholds, label specifications, and adhesive limits), and as UK recycling infrastructure develops, the assessments will need to be revisited. Building the capability to assess, monitor, and optimise your packaging on an ongoing basis is the most sustainable approach to managing compliance costs.
The five changes outlined in this article represent the highest-impact starting points for most producers. They address the most common failure points in the RAM, they are technically feasible with existing materials and suppliers, and they deliver measurable financial returns through reduced fee modulation exposure.
Start with the quick wins. Plan for the bigger changes. And ensure you have the tools and data to track your progress.
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