Second draft of the Recyclability Assessment Methodology

The second version of the Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM), open for feedback until 27 November, has been released.

The methodology has been drafted by PA consulting, contracted to do so by Defra. The methodology has been designed over this year, ahead of mandatory use by producers in 2025, which in turn will inform the EPR fee modulation for recyclability beginning in 2026.

This means further data and detailed information relating to packaging reported as ‘household’ and ‘commonly street binned’, will need to be collected by large producers on all packaging supplied from 1 January 2025. Although not yet confirmed, we can expect the submission deadlines for the RAM to probably follow those of the main EPR reporting system. These are biannual, with government deadlines of 1 April and 1 October in a given year - please note that compliance scheme deadlines will be earlier than the government deadlines.

The extra information required for the RAM data submission will cover UK collection and sortation infrastructure available for specific packaging types, the presence of any recycling inhibitors such as certain inks, and whether the packaging can be sorted at recycling facilities.

The criteria set out in the methodology means packaging formats will be given either a green, amber, or red status. Green implies the packaging is both recyclable and there is adequate collection and recycling infrastructure in the UK, and will therefore attract a lower fee than amber or red types.

We expect the finalised version of the RAM methodology to be published by the end of 2024.