Packaging Sustainability
Packaging sustainability has long been a hot topic for us and is a rapidly evolving issue for our customers and industry. Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR), Simpler Recycling, and other packaging reforms globally are bringing significant changes in support of a circular packaging industry.
Our dedication to sustainability shapes the way we design packaging, focusing on recyclability and circularity. We also help customers to understand their legislative and compliance obligations and collaborate with them to develop packaging that aligns with their own sustainability goals. This commitment is reflected in several key areas.
Considered Design
Designing for End-of-Life
We design with full consideration of end-of-life waste streams. Following circular design principles, we maximise our contribution to reduce and recycle and get the most out of the materials we use. Working closely with the UK waste industry and testing houses, we develop our products so they can be recycled and/or composted.
Design Flexibility
With design and manufacturing under one roof, we adapt product design in line with rapidly changing legislation across our international markets. We adjust the weight, shape, and taper of products so that we can optimise case configurations and pallet fills to increase space efficiency.
Resource Efficiency
We develop new and existing products to increase resource efficiency. This includes lightweighting, reducing the amount of material we use, and designing out materials that are difficult to recycle. We also use recycled and recovered materials where possible to help reduce the need for virgin resources.
Sustainable Sourcing
Traceability and Transparency
Our rigorous supplier selection and due diligence processes are critical to driving responsibility throughout our supply chain.
All our board comes from suppliers compliant with the UK/EU Timber Regulation and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) as of 30th December 2025. Look out for our FSC® certified materials across our stock ranges and talk to us about utilising these, or PEFC options, in custom food packaging.
New Materials
Our expertise and agility make us a hub for innovation. We actively seek new materials and technologies and partner with innovators to develop and bring these to market for our customers. This helps us to improve our packaging sustainability. Examples include ZestTM range which has a water-based coating, and the UK manufacture of our multi-food pots.
Reducing Food Waste
Food Preservation
We offer a range of packaging solutions that extend the shelf-life of food contents. Extending shelf-life and preserving food gives our customers more time to sell and consume food, to support the reduction of food waste.
Heat Seal Packaging
Heat seal packaging reduces air flow to food products, extending shelf-life beyond 2 days, dependent on the contents. Even a short extension of 1 day can significantly reduce food waste.
Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)
Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) solutions can significantly extend shelf-life, in some cases to over 10 days, by replacing air with a protective gas mix. This helps our customers to keep food fresh throughout longer distribution journeys and increases the time they have to sell food products, whilst maintaining the quality of the contents.
Reducing Packaging Impact
Recycling
We choose packaging materials that fit with recycling processes. The recyclability of our products is primarily assessed in line with OPRL guidelines and the UK’s Recyclability Assessment Methodology. We also provide support for customers that operate within other countries. We educate consumers by printing recycling instructions in line with national guidelines for several of our key markets on our packs.
Composting
We pioneered compostable food packaging in the 1990s and many of our products are made from commercially compostable paperboard. Composting is currently most effective through closed-loop waste management systems, so we partner with composting machinery providers to help our customers to capture and re-use compostable waste.