Celebrating the Best in Plastics Circularity – RECOUP Awards 2025 Shortlist Revealed

The shortlist for the 2025 RECOUP Awards has been announced, shining a spotlight on the companies, innovations, and collaborations driving the future of plastics circularity. With a record number of entries across all five categories, this year’s awards highlight the ingenuity, commitment, and progress being made right across the plastics value chain.

From pioneering recyclable products to game-changing technologies and inspiring educational initiatives, the RECOUP Awards recognise those who are setting new standards in plastics resource efficiency and sustainability.

Best Innovation in Equipment or Technology

Circular&Co. – TAP&REUSE™

Kingfisher – Packaging Sustainability App

Greyparrot and ACI Eco&Chem – NatureStore iTainer Robot

Recycled Plastic Product of the Year

Wholly Shrink! – Soft Plastic Compactor

Future Makers – Slotted Chair & Side Table set (Rewind® Edition)

Mondelez International – Cadbury Sharing Bars 80% Recycled Plastic

Plastics Circularity Project of the Year – Packaging

Klöckner Pentaplast – Tray2Tray®: market-first 100% rPET tray

Sherbourne Recycling – Refining rPET streams autonomously to meet changing end market requirements

Polytag – Ecotrace Programme

Plastics Circularity Project of the Year – Other

Ocado Retail – Ocado Retail online reuse scheme

Indorama Ventures – Waste Hero Education

Wastebuster CIC – Recycle to Read

Best Plastic Product Development for Recyclability or Re-Use

Faerch – Tray rPET Ready Meal Trays by Faerch: Leading the Way in Circular Food Packaging

Amcor – Reusable cup portfolio

Premier Foods Group plc – Mr Kipling Snack-Pack Slices

Sponsored by Beyondly, the winners will be revealed on 24 September 2025 at the RECOUP Awards Ceremony & Networking Dinner. This special evening will bring together industry leaders and innovators to celebrate outstanding achievements and foster new opportunities for collaboration. Book your place by 18^th September 2025.

The awards are followed by RECOUP’s not-to-be-missed event of the year, The RECOUP Conference, which is held at Kingsgate Conference Centre, Peterborough on Thursday 25 September. Sponsored by Amcor, WRAP, Ecosurety, and others, The RECOUP Conference attracts delegates from the entire plastics and wider sustainability value chain. With hundreds of delegates in attendance The RECOUP Conference is unique in its ability to draw together NGOs, Local and National Government bodies, and companies from all stages of the plastics value chain to network, share best practice and stay ahead of our everchanging landscape. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest updates from the plastics value chain at the event of the year! Secure your place today.

RECOUP Supports Enviroo’s Groundbreaking PET Recycling Plant with Key Market Intelligence and Policy Insights

Cheshire, UK – The funding of a state-of-the-art PET plastic recycling plant due to be built in the North West of England was supported by the UK’s leading independent authority on plastics recycling, RECOUP.

The non-profit organisation worked with the PET recycler, Enviroo, to deliver a comprehensive validation of the PET recycling market. This included cross-referencing and confirming third-party industry reports, assessing market feasibility, and compiling a central repository of intelligence around waste management trends and recycling policy.

Providing essential market due diligence led Enviroo to securing £58m of funding. RECOUP’s input gave funders confidence that Enviroo’s project aligned with national recycling goals and was grounded in solid economic and environmental foundations. With RECOUP’s policy guidance and sector expertise, Enviroo was able to present a compelling, low-risk investment case for its plant.

Ahmed Detta, CEO, Enviroo said, “We were delighted to work with RECOUP who offered us invaluable knowledge and expertise as we sought funding. With evidence-backed insights we could demonstrate a stable and growing market for PET recycling and navigate current waste management policies and regulations.”

Stuart Foster, CEO, RECOUP said,”This project demonstrates what’s possible when innovation is backed by evidence and industry collaboration. RECOUP was pleased to support Enviroo with the insight and due diligence needed to help secure investment for a facility that will play a vital role in the UK’s plastics recycling future. It’s a clear example of how targeted expertise can unlock progress toward circularity, reduce plastic waste, and strengthen domestic recycling infrastructure.”

The first facility, is set to be operational by 2027 and will process up to 35,000 tonnes of plastic annually at Peel NRE’s £165 million Protos Plastic Park at Ince Marshes, near Ellesmere Port.

Enviroo’s facility will boost local circular economy efforts by recycling PET plastics into high-quality food-grade packaging materials. The project not only helps reduce plastic waste but also supports the UK’s net zero ambitions and creates sustainable jobs in the green economy.

Citywide Recycling Push: Preston City Council, Beyondly and RECOUP Join Forces to Increase Recycling and Tackle Contamination

A targeted recycling education campaign spearheaded by Preston City Council and plastics recycling and resource efficiency charity RECOUP, with funding and support from environmental consultancy Beyondly, has reached over 265,000 residents, helping to cut recycling contamination reports by 13% and reduce material rejections at the sorting facility by 19%.

The campaign, delivered under the RECOUP Pledge2Recycle Plastics programme, ran from September to December 2024 combining billboards, street hubs, school and community engagement, leaflet deliveries to all households in the Preston area, a radio campaign, and a fresh suite of social media assets. It aimed to clarify what can and cannot be recycled, with a particular focus on plastics, a key area of confusion for many households.

Councillor Freddie Bailey, Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Safety commented “The outcomes of this campaign are brilliant. Preston residents want to do the right thing when it comes to recycling, and this campaign helped make that easier. By combining local pride with practical information, we empowered people to recycle more and better.”

Preston City Council saw an 11 tonne increase in plastic, glass and cans collected in 2024/25 in comparison to 2023/24. The city also recorded fewer crew-reported contaminants such as general rubbish and plastic bags in recycling bins, an encouraging sign that consistent messaging is paying off.

Key achievements include:
• Total reach of over 265,000, covering all households in Preston.
• 13% decrease in contamination in plastic, glass, and can bins.
• 19% reduction in material rejections at sorting facilities.
• Leaflet and campaign materials designed with accessibility in mind, including input from local disability groups and multilingual residents.
• Engagement in priority wards, including Plungington, Deepdale and the City Centre, where housing types and language barriers present ongoing challenges.

The campaign delivery included engaging directly with communities through school visits, supermarket events, and a dedicated recycling van at the city’s Flag Market. Surveys conducted during engagement revealed that while many residents want to recycle more, they often struggle with understanding what’s accepted and how to prepare materials properly.

Katherine Fleet, Head of Sustainability and Circularity at RECOUP commented, “Education remains a vital part of the recycling puzzle. By using visuals, clear messages, and trusted community channels, this campaign helped to reduce confusion and increase confidence in recycling.”

Beyondly, who supported delivery of the campaign as well as providing grant funding, also praised its impact and inclusive approach.

“At Beyondly, we’re proud to support initiatives that empower communities to make lasting environmental change,” said Charlotte Davies, Senior Consultant Resource Efficiency and Circularity at Beyondly. “This campaign in Preston is a fantastic example of how collaboration and clear communication can reduce contamination, increase recycling, and build a more sustainable future.”

Looking ahead, Preston City Council plan to build on these learnings, including strengthening relationships with schools, improving access to recycling for households without kerbside bins, and considering the needs of neurodiverse residents.

The Preston City Council Recycling Report 2025 provides a comprehensive review of the campaign’s outcomes, highlighting not just statistics, but also the lived realities of Preston’s diverse communities.

To learn more or access the full report, visit: the RECOUP website, or join us at a webinar on 10 September 2025, register your interest here.

The RECOUP Summit – A Resounding Success

The inaugural RECOUP Summit, sponsored by WRAP and Ecosurety, held on the 30 April in Leeds, was a resounding success. It reconfirmed the need for more innovation and collaboration with industry and government support to ensure we deliver on the promise of a plastic circular economy. Focused on developments in technology that will help to drive improvements in the plastics recycling and resource efficiency value chain, the event hosted attendees from across the plastics value chain with an exciting line up of speakers based across focused breakout rooms in the morning and a collaborative session in the afternoon.

The morning kicked off with a focused session on advanced recycling technologies, where speakers including Geoff Brighty from Mura Technology,  Emmeline Aves of ReVentas, and Sam Pine from Greyparrot, shared tangible examples of innovation transforming the sector and facilitating the circular economy. Hearing about a variety of available solutions including low carbon dissolution recycling, scalable chemical recycling approaches and AI-based waste intelligence tools the message was clear: technology is available now – but its deployment depends on supportive infrastructure, policy alignment, and commercial investment.

Another breakout session zeroed in on food contact packaging, exploring how innovation is enhancing recycled content in high end applications. Speakers for this session included Jeremy Blake from Amcor, David Bargery from Regis Machinery, and Paul Marshall from Nextek, who highlighted the industry’s regulatory, legislative, and cost hurdles. The session honed in on solutions for producing food grade recycled polypropylene (PP), the removal of contaminants from recycled materials and solutions for converting films back into food-grade material.. This session made it clear that with the right technologies and collaborative effort, we can break down existing barriers taking higher levels of food contact recycled content from aspiration to reality.

In the final breakout session, the conversation turned to the role of data in the circular economy  – its power, its gaps, and its role in delivering a true circular economy. Sophie Walker from Dsposal, Rachel Warren from Re-universe, and Will Addy from Polytag, came together to highlight the need for good data, stressing how upcoming legislation and new targets require data from the sector to benchmark delivery and progress. It was very apparent throughout the session that inefficient data gathering systems and inaccurate data can hamper progress, however, with effective and accurate data we can make better and more informed choices that play a huge role in delivering a circular economy for plastics and packaging materials.

The day culminated in a dynamic collaborative session led by Robbie Staniforth (Ecosurety), where panellists including Liz Wildman (MARS), Steve Walsh (TOMRA), James Donaldson (Sortology), Angela Doyle (Robinson Packaging), and Paul Mayhew (MBA Polymers). The panel tackled some of the sector’s thorniest issues: infrastructure gaps, technical limitations, greenwashing, and the reality of consumer engagement. The panel called for smarter packaging design, investment into system resilience, and the need to make recycled plastics commercially viable. However, it was also noted that real progress requires more than individual action, reinforcing the importance of joined-up action across industry, government, and innovators, backed by clear policy signals, targeted funding, and infrastructure investment. If we come together to bridge gaps and technical challenges across industry we can allow the plastic circular economy to flourish.

The RECOUP Summit underscored the critical need for aligned innovation, policy, and investment to drive meaningful progress in plastics recycling and the circular economy. By bringing together voices from across the value chain, the event not only highlighted current challenges but also showcased tangible solutions already shaping the future. As collaboration deepens between stakeholders, and with continued support from government and industry alike, we move closer to realising a truly circular and sustainable system for plastics.

Recyclability Assessment Methodology

Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) – Introduction

The Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) will evaluate packaging to ensure that it can be recycled and transformed into new products. All packaging that is placed on the UK market and reported as household waste in 2025 will be reviewed using details on the RAM. From 2026, modulated fees will be applied accordingly to each packaging format.

Packaging will be rated as either green, amber or red. Green suggest that the packaging has a recognised path for collection, sorting and recycling and will have lower fees applied than less recyclable materials, which will be rated amber or red. Producers will need to report their data from October 2025 with fees being applied from 2026 onwards.

RAM v1.1  – Observations

Following work and consultations during 2024, an initial draft copy of the RAM was released in December 2024. At this point, DEFRA listened to some of the comments from RECOUP, from RECOUP members, and from other organisations.

There then followed an initial launch to trade bodies of a draft final version on 8^th April 2025, then the most recent version of the DEFRA Ram was released on 28^th April 2025. Comparing the most recent releases; no significant changes to anything in the ‘plastics’ sections, from the draft version 1.1 which we had seen, and the final 28 April version. Minor changes include the removal of the ‘boxes’ around the items marked for ‘2025 assessment’, which now form part of the main text.

However, there are more than a few outstanding queries and questions, which we have communicated to DEFRA, on the latest version.

One pressing issue is the materials or combinations which have been removed from the RAM for ‘2025 assessment’. This means that the following are now deemed acceptable: the comparison is with RECOUP Recyclability By Design guidelines (RBD) for plastic packaging recyclability:

Attached label or sleeve over 40% (bottle) 60% (PTTs) of surface area

• Amber in RBD

 PET trays with PE seal layer

• Red in RBD

 HDPE items with fillers eg. Talc, CaCO3

• Red in RBD

 Attached labels or sleeves comprised of paper

• Amber in RBD

Of the comments submitted by RECOUP following the initial ‘version 1’, we were pleased that DEFRA accepted some RECOUP recommendations, including;

–              RAM classifies any PET pot/tub/tray with anti-blocking agents as amber – rendering basically any tray manufacturers entire portfolio as amber!

RECOUP shows de-nest in Green column, Anti-block in centre column. Anti-block in the masterbatch is acceptable. We have a statement to this effect written for us by Faerch.

This instruction was removed from RAM v1.1

–              RAM states “if an item of packaging or component contains any of the following it is classified as red: attached label adhesives which are not removable in an 80°C hot wash”

This is too generalised. Protocols show different polymers react differently. For example: PET Bottles recommendation is 70°C – 90°C. For flexibles, both PP and PE, the recommendation is 40°C.

This instruction was removed from RAM v1.1

However, outstanding queries as yet unanswered by DEFRA include;

Flexible

–              Specific barrier layers (SiOx, AlOx etc.) removed from ‘red’ list. Although OK in small quantities, this omission may result in higher quantity used, which the recycling industry may find difficult to cope with. The list of barrier layers needs some research but should be re-introduced, possibly as ‘Amber’ with a note concerning maximum quantity.

–              Polyolefin film – minimum 80% PO mono- reduced from minimum 90% PO mono. “Any….. below this threshold are classified as red.” No indication of the % required for classifying as ‘green’ or classifying as ‘amber’

Rigid

–              ‘Inks that bleed’ removed. This is a fundamental of all recyclability guidelines. We are aware of new technology – washable inks – in development; is this the reason?

Conclusion

We are unsure where DEFRA obtained information to make some of the changes. This obviously did not come from the recycling industry.

RECOUP remain open to discussion with DEFRA regarding the queries above. We talk with both The BPF and OPRL regularly to ensure we are in agreement.

Recyclability Guidelines

The RAM does not replace recyclability guidelines. The RAM was written as an instrument to enable fees to be charged for packaging.

RBD is produced by talking to members; and accept the advice from recyclers on what happens now. This is what makes it different to other instruments which look at what might happen with new ‘state of the art’ equipment in a few years.

For any help or advice please contact Paul East at paul.east@recoup.org