Design for Recyclability: 8 Practical Changes That Improve Your RAM Rating

With pEPR eco-modulated fees now live, the recyclability of your packaging has a direct impact on your bottom line. A Green RAM rating means lower fees; Red means a surcharge that will escalate to 2.0x by 2028. The good news is that many packaging items can be improved through targeted design changes — some of which are surprisingly straightforward.

Here are eight practical changes, drawn from the RAM assessment criteria and real-world recycling infrastructure, that can improve your packaging’s rating.

1. Eliminate carbon black colouring

Carbon black pigment is invisible to the near-infrared (NIR) sensors used in UK sorting facilities. Packaging coloured with carbon black typically fails RAM Stage 3 (Sortation) and is automatically rated Red. Switch to detectable dark alternatives — several pigment manufacturers now offer NIR-detectable dark colours that look similar to carbon black but can be sorted correctly. This single change can move a pack from Red to Green.

2. Remove or reduce full-body shrink sleeves

Shrink sleeves that cover the entire surface of a plastic bottle or container obscure the underlying material from NIR sorters. If the sleeve is a different polymer to the bottle (which it usually is — PVC or PET-G sleeve on a PET or HDPE bottle), the pack is likely to be missorted. Options include reducing sleeve coverage to less than 60% of the surface, switching to a sleeve made from the same polymer as the bottle, or replacing the sleeve with a direct-print or paper label.

3. Simplify multi-material constructions

Packaging made from multiple materials that cannot be separated by the consumer or during recycling is difficult to reprocess. A common example is a paper cup with a plastic lining — the composite is neither recyclable as paper nor as plastic in standard streams. Where possible, move to mono-material designs. If multi-material construction is essential for product protection, design the components to be easily separable (e.g., a peel-off lid, a detachable liner).

4. Switch to wash-off adhesives and inks

Adhesives that do not release during the recycling wash process contaminate the recycled material. Water-based, alkali-soluble adhesives are the standard for recyclable packaging. Similarly, certain inks — particularly those with high heavy metal content or those that bleed during reprocessing — can downgrade recyclability. Switch to inks certified as compatible with recycling processes.

5. Ensure closures are attached or compatible

Small closures and caps that are not attached to the main pack are frequently lost during collection and sorting. Tethered caps (now mandated under the EU PPWR for drinks containers) ensure the closure stays with the pack through the recycling process. Where tethering is not feasible, ensure the closure is made from a material compatible with the main pack’s recycling stream.

6. Avoid problematic material combinations

Certain material combinations are known to cause issues in recycling streams. Metal components in plastic packaging (such as metal springs in pump dispensers) contaminate plastic bales. PVC labels or components mixed with PET packaging cause reprocessing failures. Silicone valves in flexible packaging cannot be separated. Identify and eliminate these known contaminants from your packaging designs.

7. Match your format to collection infrastructure

Even perfectly recyclable materials receive a Red rating if they are not collected. In the UK, rigid plastic containers (bottles, pots, tubs, trays) are widely collected at kerbside. Flexible films are being added through Simpler Recycling from 2027, but coverage is not yet universal. Very small items (under approximately 40mm) fall through sorting screens and are lost. If your packaging format is not currently collected, consider whether an alternative format would be.

8. Test and certify through accredited assessors

A formal recyclability assessment from an accredited testing body provides evidence for your RAM rating and gives confidence that your packaging meets the criteria at each stage. Several UK-based testing laboratories and certification bodies offer recyclability assessments. The FuturePack directory lists accredited testing and certification organisations.

For a full explanation of how each RAM stage works, see our comprehensive RAM guide. To find packaging design consultants and testing laboratories, visit the FuturePack directory.