Amcor has secured RecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability Certification for flexible packaging made at its Ardeer, Bromborough, and Winsford plants, covering NorDiVent FFS films for cement and chemicals, shrink films, stretch hood films, and PCR-containing products.
From April 2027, only post-consumer recycled material will count toward the 30 percent threshold for UK Plastic Packaging Tax exemption. Post-industrial and pre-consumer recycled content will no longer qualify.
The tax currently charges £217.82 (approximately US$276) per tonne on non-compliant packaging.
Mike Baxter, Amcor recycling and government relations UK director, stated that as recycled material use increases and regulations tighten, third-party accreditation will play a vital role in ensuring transparency and consistency, which is why Amcor is certifying both its sites and products through recognised bodies such as RecyClass.
Why the Tax Change Reshapes Supply Chains
The UK Plastic Packaging Tax, introduced in April 2022, currently allows both PCR and PIR to count toward the 30 percent recycled content threshold.
From April 2027, only PCR will qualify. A film made with 30 percent PIR from factory scrap will no longer be tax-exempt. Converters must either switch to PCR or pay the tax.
Amcor’s RecyClass certification for PCR-containing products provides third-party verification that the PCR content is traceable and meets the standard, supporting customers’ tax compliance claims.
What the Certified Portfolio Includes
The certified portfolio covers NorDiVent, ventilated FFS films for cement, powdered construction materials, chemicals, and minerals.
It also includes shrink films, stretch hood films for pallet protection, and several FFS and flat film products containing PCR plastic.
These industrial packaging applications require performance that PCR content must not compromise.
FFS films run on high-speed lines; a film that tears or fails to seal shuts down production. Amcor’s certification confirms that PCR-containing films meet the same performance standards as virgin-material equivalents.
Pan-European Accreditation Network
Beyond the UK, Amcor sites in Steinfeld, Germany; Hardenberg, the Netherlands; Roeselare and Zele, Belgium; and Zdzieszowice, Poland, have RecyClass accreditation for selected products, supporting a pan-European approach for international customers.
Amcor’s recycling operations in the UK and Europe link recycling, material development, and packaging manufacturing in work related to PCR use in industrial and secondary flexible packaging.
The company recently received cleanroom certification for its thermoforming plant in Carolina, Puerto Rico.
