What is the RAM?
Under the UK government’s packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) rules, Companies must assess how recyclable their packaging is by considering how easily it can be collected, sorted and processed through recycling systems to produce a usable end product. Packaging is rated Green (readily recyclable in current UK systems), Amber (recyclable but facing challenges) or Red (difficult to recycle at scale). From 2025, this will be done using the Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM), which applies to all packaging considered household waste.
The aim of RAM is to pinpoint any packaging components labelled as “red” – those that are challenging to recycle – and encourage businesses in redesigning them so they can progress towards “green”, or easily recyclable, packaging. This shift not only strengthens environmental performance but may also help lower future compliance costs.