Seven years of progress and transformation.
The UK Plastics Pact has shown that voluntary, collective action can deliver change faster than regulation alone. The last few years have tested every part of the system, yet this penultimate report demonstrates the determination, innovation and shared leadership of our members, proving that progress is still possible when we act together.
From the UK to the world – our legacy of impact
Since launching in 2018, the UK Plastics Pact has united more than 200 organisations across the value chain, from global brands and retailers to recyclers, policymakers and NGOs.
Its model has become a global blueprint for tackling plastic pollution, now adopted across 19 countries in the Global North and South, showing that business-led collaboration can turn ambition into measurable, system-wide impact.
Progress against targets
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1. Eliminate problematic plastics
99.9% of problematic items have been eliminated since 2018.
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2. Design for recyclability
71.6% of plastic packaging is now reusable or recyclable.
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3. Improve recycling rates
53% effective recycling;
9 in 10 citizens recycling regularly. -
4. Boost recycled content
28% average recycled content across packaging;
51% in PET bottles.
Latest highlights
Innovation in action
Businesses across the value chain have continued to act ahead of regulation, demonstrating what is possible:
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Cadbury & Tesco
Replaced outer wraps on 1.8M Crunchie multipacks - 60% plastic reduction.
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Yorkshire Tea
Removed plastic outer wrap across core ranges - 260 tonnes of plastic saved annually.
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Waitrose
Replaced metal pump components with recyclable alternatives - 75,000 fewer parts sent to landfill each year.
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Go Unpackaged Reuse Findings
Multi-retailer collaboration proves reuse could cut emissions by 95% and EPR costs by 94%.
Looking ahead – what we’ve learned and what comes next
The report shows that while we have made significant strides, key system barriers remain.
- Plastic film is still not being recycled at scale, despite major improvements in packaging design.
- Reuse and refill have demonstrated clear environmental and commercial benefits, but pilot activity has not yet evolved into integrated, interoperable systems.
- The UK has also seen the loss of 260,000 tonnes of recycling capacity due to site closures, increasing reliance on exports.
- And for many packaging formats - particularly food-grade PE and PP - access to high-quality recycled material remains limited.
These challenges aren’t failures, nor do they mark the end of the story.
They are the points in the system where deeper, structural change is now needed.
And they are exactly what the UK Packaging Pact has been created to address.
From plastics to packaging: The next chapter begins
The UK Plastics Pact has laid the foundations for system-wide transformation.
Now, the UK Packaging Pact will take this further - tackling the barriers that prevent circularity today and accelerating progress across the entire packaging system.
System change is not a single moment; it is a journey. There is still further to go.
Download files
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The UK Plastics Pact Annual Report 2024-25
PDF, 2.7 MB
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