FPF FlexCollect: A UK first, now inspiring global action

With a few final exciting reprocessing trials scheduled for 2025, the Flexible Plastic Fund (FPF) FlexCollect project is nearly finished - and the results are coming soon.

The FPF FlexCollect project is the UK’s first large-scale pilot investigating the collection, sorting and recycling of post-consumer flexible plastic packaging. It began in 2022 and set out to understand how flexibles can be integrated into kerbside recycling collection services ready for the implementation of Simpler Recycling in 2027.

The FlexCollect project is funded by FPF members Mars UK, Mondelēz International, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Unilever, Abel & Cole, Ella’s Kitchen, Kiddylicious, Koninklijke Douwe Egberts, KP Snacks, Lotus Bakeries, McCain Foods, Natural Balance Foods, Ocado Retail, pladis, The Collective, and Vitaflo, as well as by Defra, UK Research & Innovation’s Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge delivered by Innovate UK, and Zero Waste Scotland. The project delivery team comprises Ecosurety, RECOUP, SUEZ recycling and recovery UK and WRAP.

Ten local authority pilots are now nearing completion, with reprocessing trials set for 2025. Final findings, due in Autumn 2025, will help inform UK local authorities rolling out new kerbside collections for Simpler Recycling in 2027.

The project has already had a far wider impact around the world, with similar initiatives wanting to learn from the UK. From the USA and Canada, to Japan and Australia, governments and industry leaders are tapping into FlexCollect’s insights to shape their own flexible plastic recycling systems.

Where has FPF FlexCollect had an influence?

In Canada we shared our knowledge and initial experiences with a Canadian consortium comprising the Canadian Plastics Pact, Circular Materials, Chemical Industry Association of Canada, Eco Entreprises Québec, Recycle British Columbia, The Recycling Partnership and the Circular Plastic Taskforce who were investigating the feasibility of kerbside collections. Kerbside trials have since started in British Columbia.

In the U.S.A., where EPR legislation is being introduced across a number of States, we’ve been sharing our insights with the US Flexible Film Initiative (a collaboration of major brands such as Colgate-Palmolive, General Mills, Mars, Mondelez, Nestle and PepsiCo) and Circular Action Alliance a U.S. Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) implementing Extended Producer Responsibility legislation across a number of States.

On the other side of the world, we’ve been supporting similar initiatives in Australia and New Zealand. Our Innovation and Policy Director, Robbie Staniforth, visited Australia to meet with the Soft Plastics Stewardship, helping to pull together the relevant stakeholders who are working to ensure flexible plastic packaging producers are responsible for the packaging they put on the market. This important visit was followed up by briefings for the Australian Food and Grocery Council and Australasian Institute of Packaging and a presentation at the 2025 Australasian Packaging Conference. The Packaging Forum Aotearoa New Zealand was the first international initiative to contact us in 2022. We’ve kept them up to date with progress and they have been visiting some of the FlexCollect pilots this summer.

In May 2025, Robbie also visited South Africa on a UKRI Global Expert Mission to explore how the country is tackling plastic waste. With shared commitments on sustainability, the visit focused on collaboration and innovation - highlighting the role of waste reclaimers and voluntary Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). He shares more about this trip on the Talking Rubbish podcast – listen here.

Finally, our friends at the Australasian Institute of Packaging have been taking the FPF FlexCollect message to Brazil, presenting at the Brazilian Packaging Association’s (ABRE) Packaging and Consumption Congress, Austria and a presentation at a World Packaging Forum conference and finally Japan, presenting at TokyoPack.

Join the conversation

In September 2025, the key findings and results from the FlexCollect project will be published in a Blueprint. It will provide essential data insights and practical guidance for government, local authorities, the waste management and recycling industries and plastic reprocessors preparing for mandatory flexible plastic collections under Simpler Recycling from 2027.

The team will be delivering an intensive dissemination programme to key stakeholder audiences across the UK. See our list of upcoming events here, and register to join.

If you’re interested in having the FPF FlexCollect team share insights or results at your event or webinar this autumn, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to us at flexibleplasticfund@ecosurety.com.

To explore the project in more detail, visit the Flexible Plastic Fund website.