Explore guidelines for your region
We've partnered with RECOUP to develop a sustainable packaging framework for restaurants in the UK, and help make informed decisions for your business.
The framework is in line with the UK and global guidelines, which emphasise packaging designed for reuse or recycling.
Criteria used to assess packaging
To be considered sustainable, packaging must meet the following criteria:
Is it banned by law or problematic?
Banned by legislation
Plastic cutlery and straws, and single-use EPS (expanded polystyrene) food and drinks containers are banned under the UK's single-use plastic bans.
Problematic packaging
This includes items that make recycling more difficult or harm the environment, such as small packaging, polystyrene and PVC. PFAS and BPA are chemicals used in the creation of some packaging that pose health and environmental risks.
Is it recyclable or compostable?
Some common recyclable plastics are PET, HDPE, PE and PP. The UK has sufficient infrastructure and export markets to recycle these plastics.
PVC, PS/EPS and many flexible plastics (like plastic around cutlery) are not considered recyclable in the UK.
Look for these symbols to indicate that packaging is recyclable:
Paper, fibre and aluminium can also be widely recycled.
Some small items, such as utensils and straws, can't be recycled, regardless of the material they are made of. Because of this, many items made with reduced impact on the environment through use of renewable materials can be considered sustainable. These materials include raw wood, cellulose fibre or paper.
There is currently no specific roadside collection in place for compostable packaging in the UK. As a result, compostable packaging is not considered sustainable in the UK.
Examples of sustainable packaging
Based on the criteria listed above, here are some examples of how sustainable packaging is assessed in the UK.
Type of packaging | Is it sustainable? | Reason |
---|---|---|
Plastic bags (i.e., HDPE/LDPE shopping bags) | No | Limited recycling and high contribution to litter |
Plastic cutlery | No | Banned by legislation |
Aluminium tray | Yes | Can be recycled |
Plastic (PP, PET) bowl + lid | Yes | Can be recycled |
PLA cup | No | Composting infrastructure is not widely available in the UK |
Wooden cutlery | Yes | The packaging cannot be recycled, but no recyclable alternatives exist and the packaging uses renewable materials |
Find local packaging suppliers
To make it easier and more affordable for you to source sustainable packaging, we've partnered with suppliers in your area.
We're here to help, but you should make decisions based on what's best for your business. Materials are provided for informational purposes only and shouldn't be relied upon as business or legal advice from Uber.
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