Packaging - environmental considerations
Environmental regulations and considerations when designing packaging including reducing the weight and volume and your duty of care for waste.
By considering the environment at the design stage you can reduce the cost of your packaging and minimise its impact on the environment. You can also make your product more appealing to consumers who prefer recyclable packaging or packaging from renewable sources.
You must ensure that the packaging you use complies with environmental regulations. The weight and volume of the packaging must be the minimum necessary, and the packaging must be recoverable by recycling, incineration or composting. There are also limits on the level of heavy metals that can be present in packaging.
You also have a duty of care for the waste you produce. The regulations require businesses to ensure that their waste is handled and disposed of or recycled safely.
Businesses with a turnover of over 拢2 million who handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging must also comply with the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations.