Recyclability

Recyclability recorded per component

Merchant Packaging holds a recyclability grade for every packaging component, with the basis it rests on and the date it was made, and applies red, amber or green ratings in UK reports. It does not run the national methodologies itself.

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Grades are held on the component register: each component carries its own material, level and vendor, so a grade applies to the part rather than the product.
Context

Why this matters

Recyclability is no longer just a sustainability talking point. Under PPWR, it directly affects your costs and market access:

  • From 2030, all packaging must meet recyclability performance grades (A, B, or C) based on standardised criteria under Annex II
  • Grades will become stricter over time, with Grade E packaging effectively banned from the market by 2038
  • National EPR schemes already modulate fees based on recyclability - Germany (ZSVR), France (COTREP/eco-modulation), Netherlands (KIDV), UK (pEPR modulated fees from 2026)

Design choices made today determine your fee exposure and market access for years to come.

Coverage

Methodologies in use

Which standard a grade should rest on depends on the market:

  • PPWR Annex II criteria (EU-wide, phased from 2030)
  • ZSVR Minimum Standard (Germany, tied to LUCID eco-modulation)
  • COTREP (France, plastics recyclability for CITEO eco-modulation)
  • CEREC (France, paper and card)
  • KIDV (Netherlands, tied to Afvalfonds/Verpact)
  • OPRL RAT / Defra RAM (UK, tied to pEPR modulated fees)
  • RecyClass (EU-wide, all materials)
  • Fost Plus D4R guidelines (Belgium)
  • ARA Circular Design (Austria)
  • CONAI fee bands / ATICELCA 501 (Italy)
  • Ecoembes TheCircularLab (Spain)
  • CEFLEX D4ACE (EU-wide, flexible packaging)
Process

How it works

1

Your packaging components are already captured with material, weight, format, and composition data

2

Each component carries an A-E recyclability grade, assessed against the relevant standard

3

The grade is stored with the basis it rests on, the date it was made and when it expires

4

Red, amber or green ratings are applied from the component data when UK reports run

5

Eco-modulation bonus and malus rules are applied in the France and Germany declarations

Get started

Know your recyclability position before your fees tell you

Tell us which markets you sell into and we will show you how recyclability grades sit on your own components.

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Southampton SO14 3TG, UK
Phone+44(0)2380 225 478