ERP UK | RAM Checker

Circul8 – RAM Checking Tool

DISCLAIMER – You still need to do your own Methodology.

This does not constitute a Methodology. ERP cannot be held liable for any decision made with this tool. The data analysis and output report generated by this tool are based on the data provided for analysis.

While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the results, the findings, interpretations and output report generated by this tool are inherently dependent on the quality, accuracy, legality, reliability and integrity of the data provided by the user.

Users should use their own professional judgment and discretion when assessing and verifying the results. They assume sole responsibility for results obtained and for conclusions drawn from such use.

This RAM Checking Tool utilizes the Recyclability Assessment Methodology as outlined in GOV.UK guidance. This is subject to periodic review and updates to reflect the latest regulatory guidance and best practices.

Some packaging materials are exempt from classification. If your packaging item /component is reused packaging (unless imported from outside the UK) or packaging exported outside the UK, you should not be reporting this packaging at all. It therefore does not require classification for RAM.

– integrated electrical components or batteries that would be classed as Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) (for example: boxes that include LED lights)

– substances of very high concern (SVHC) under UK REACH (click for guidance)

– inks that are manufactured in compliance with the EuPIA Exclusion Policy for Printing Inks and Related products (click for guidance)

– perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) that have been intentionally added. However, this does not apply if the predominant material is aluminium, steel or glass.

Plastics classified as “flexible” refer to items that change shape when filled. Plastic films can be made from various types of plastic polymers, including polyolefins (PO), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and also includes metallised films.

Plastics classified as “rigid” refer to items that maintain a defined shape and structural integrity under normal conditions of use.

Common examples of paper / board in packaging could include:

– cardboard boxes and sleeves

– corrugated cardboard, for example shipping packaging

– paperboard, for example cereal boxes and tissue boxes

– flexible paper packaging, for example wrappers and pouches

– moulded fibre, for example egg boxes

Paper and Board components should consist mainly of natural fibres. They can include filling material, starch, clay or colour coatings including binder, as well as additives typically used in the paper industry such as wet-strength agents, sizing agents, dyes and bound water.

The paper and board waste stream may include fibre-based composites. Fibre-based composite packaging with plastic content less than or equal to 5% by weight should be assessed through Paper and Board material guidance.

Fibre-based composite packaging with plastic content more than 5% by weight should be assessed through Fibre-Based Composite Materials guidance.

– fibre-based composite which has layers of plastic on both sides (double-sided lamination)

– paper and board to which glitter has been adhered

– greaseproof, siliconised or waxed paper

– parchment paper (for example: baking paper)

– padded polyethylene lined envelopes (unless easily separated by hand)

– Any non-paper content greater than 15% by weight and not classified as a fibre-based composite

– Any of the following fillers, additives, or agents: Urea/Formaldehyde and/or Urea/melamine

– Any of the following fibers: glass or carbon fibres

– two-sided wax coating (for example: molten wax dip coated, but does not apply to waxes used in printing inks)

– siliconising agents (for example: used in papers for labels)

– non-paper content greater than 10% by weight and not classified as a fibre-based composite

– non-wood-based fibres (for example: bagasse, palm, fibre, rice straw, wheat straw, barley straw, oat straw, grass straw, flax, hemp, and bamboo)

– Adhesives:- adhesive lamination (inside of pack) of PET, mPET, PET/PE

– Laminations or coatings:- pVDC / PVC polymer dispersion coatings

– lamination with Aluminium foil where the coating thickness is greater than or equal to 6 micron (µm)

– wax dispersion, including microcrystalline waxes but does not apply to waxes used in printing inks

– Barrier metallization:- direct metallisation, including primer, aluminium nanoscale, or protective coating

– transfer metallisation, including adhesive and transfer metallization

– polyethylene (PE) with less than 80% by weight of polymer content

– polypropylene (PP) exceeding 20% by weight by polymer content

– polyethylene terephthalate (PET) exceeding 5% by weight of polymer content

– biodegradable polymers in any proportion of polymer content

– polyethylene (PE) between 80% and 90% by weight of polymer content

– polypropylene (PP) between 10% and 20% by weight by polymer content

– polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with less than 5% by weight of polymer content

– Wax Coatings, including wax emulsions and dispersions, but does not apply to waxes used in printing inks

– fibre-based composite packaging with more than 15% non-paper content by weight

– fibre-based composite which has layers of plastic on both sides (double-sided lamination)

– paper and board to which glitter has been adhered

– greaseproof, siliconised or waxed paper

– parchment paper (for example: baking paper)

– padded polyethylene lined envelopes (unless easily separated by hand)

– urea/formaldehyde

– urea/melamine

– glass or carbon fibres

– two-sided lamination (for example: PE/Paper/PE, PP/Paper/PP, PET/Paper/PET, unless there is clear consumer guidance for peeling off the lamination)

– two-sided wax coating (for example: molten wax dip coated, but does not apply to waxes used in printing inks)

– siliconising agents (for example: used in papers for labels)

– non-paper content greater than 10% by weight

– non-wood-based fibres (for example: bagasse, palm, fibre, rice straw, wheat straw, barley straw, oat straw, grass straw, flax, hemp, and bamboo)

– Adhesives:- adhesive lamination (inside of pack) of PET, mPET, PET/PE

– Laminations or coatings:- pVDC / PVC polymer dispersion coatings

– lamination with Aluminium foil where the coating thickness is greater than or equal to 6 micron (µm)

– wax dispersion, including microcrystalline waxes but does not apply to waxes used in printing inks

– Barrier metallization:- direct metallisation, including primer, aluminium nanoscale, or protective coating

– transfer metallisation, including adhesive and transfer metallization

Common examples of glass packaging could include:

• Bottles

• Jars

Due to the nature of glass reprocessing, no sortation specifications are defined and therefore all glass packaging items / components automatically pass this stage of the assessment.

The glass reprocessing infrastructure in the UK is equipped to handle contaminants that can reasonably be expected to appear in an item of packaging. Therefore all glass packaging items / components automatically pass this stage of the assessment.

– ceramic swing stoppers

– non-glass attachments or inserts that cannot be separated by hand, other than attached labels (for example: pumps or dispensers)(this does not apply to metal attachments e.g. screw top skirts/collars)

– any colour other than clear (flint), green, blue, or amber (brown). This applies only to the glass itself and does not apply to any inks that may be used

Common examples of aluminum packaging could include:

• Food containers/tins

• Lids from glass bottles or jars

• Aluminium tubes

• Bottles

• Rigid containers

• Closures

• Aerosols

• Foil trays

• Laminated foils

Films metalised via vacuum deposition, including those used in crisp packets, should be assessed under the predominant material by weight.

– food containers/tins

– lids from glass bottles or jars

– aluminium tubes

– bottles

– rigid containers

– closures

– aerosols

– foil trays

– laminated foils

The aluminium reprocessing infrastructure in the UK is equipped to handle contaminants that can reasonably be expected to appear in an item of packaging.

Therefore all aluminium packaging items / components automatically pass this stage of the assessment.

Common examples of steel in packaging could include:

– food tins

– aerosol

– decorative cans

– lids from glass bottles or jars

– rigid steel containers

– closures

To meet the widely collected at kerbside criteria, an item of packaging or component must be collected by 75% of Local Authorities. For steel this includes:

• Aerosols collected by 94% of local authorities

• Food cans / tins collected by 100% of local authorities

• Metal lids on glass jars collected with glass bottles and jars by 89% of local authorities

• Foil and foil trays collected by 84% of local authorities

Items of packaging and component types, not listed above, may progress via the Limited Collections route if collected by at least 50% of Local Authorities but are capped at AMBER, unless otherwise specified.

The steel reprocessing infrastructure in the UK is equipped to handle contaminants that can reasonably be expected to appear in an item of packaging.

Therefore all steel packaging items / components automatically pass this stage of the assessment.

Plastics classified as “flexible” refer to items that change shape when filled. Common examples of flexible plastic packaging could include:

• bags

• pouches

• sachets

• sleeves

• wrappers

• lidding film or liners

• crisp packets

• fruit nets

– Carbon black pigment within the masterbatch (this does not apply to inks or labels)

– Aluminium foil layers

– PET

– PVC

– PVDC

– non-PE and non-PP foamed polymer layers

– oxy-degradable, bio-degradable plastic, or compostable plastic

– paper

– aluminium foil – this does not include metalised films

– ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH) as barriers or coatings exceeding 10% of the total weight

– Additives or Fillers: oxo-degradability additives

– Additives or Fillers: foamed thermoplastic non-polyolefin elastomers

– Density greater than 1g/cm3

– Lacquers and inks containing PVC binders

– Attached labels or sleeves of a different material type

– adhesives such as polyurethane exceeding 3% of the total component weight when applied to PE

– adhesives such as polyurethane exceeding 5% of the total component weight when applied to PP

– adhesives such as acrylic or natural rubber latex adhesives, as well as non-PE or non-PP based tie layers exceeding 5% of the total component weight

To meet the widely collected at kerbside criteria, an item of packaging or component must be collected by 75% of Local Authorities. For plastic (rigids) this includes:

– Plastic Bottles collected by 100% of local authorities

– Rigid mixed plastics (pots, tubs and trays) collected by 88% of local authorities

– PVC (including non-PVC with PVC components)

– polystyrene (including but not limited to HIPS, expanded & extruded)

– oxy-degradable, biodegradable or compostable plastics

– non-polyolefin foamed plastics e.g. non-PP and non-PE

– ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH) as barriers or coatings exceeding 10% of the total weight

– caps or seals comprised of steel or aluminium with a density greater than or equal to 1g/cm3

– caps, seals or valves comprised of silicone

– attached labels or sleeves that are PVC, Metalised, or PS with a density greater than 1g/cm3

– EVOH as a barrier or coating exceeding 10% of the total weight

– attached labels or sleeves that are PET, PVC, or Metalised or PS with a density greater than 1g/cm3

– PVDC barriers or coatings

– caps comprised of steel, aluminium, PS, PVC, or Thermoset plastics

– liners comprised of PS, PVC, or EVA with aluminium

– seals comprised of PVC or silicone

– attached labels or sleeves comprised of PVC, aluminium, metallised PET, or metallised PS

– PVDC barriers or coatings

– caps comprised of steel, aluminium, PS, PVC, or thermoset plastics

– attached labels or sleeves comprised of PVC or metallised PET

– inserts comprised of PVC, PS, Polyurethane (PU), PA (Nylon), PET (heavy), Polycarbonate (PC), Acrylic (PMMA), thermoset plastics, or metallics

– any of the following colours: dark blue, dark green or brown. This applies to the plastic itself and does not apply to any inks used.

– external coatings or PA-3 layers

– any of the following additives: UV stabilisers or AA blockers

– any of the following additives: O2 scavengers, UV stabilisers, AA blockers

– inserts comprised of HDPE, LDPE, PP, PET, or paper

– any of the following colours: light blue, green, light tints, opaque. This applies to the plastic itself and does not apply to any inks used

– polyamide (PA) including MXD6 as barriers or coatings

– seals comprised of aluminium

– opaque colours, excluding white. This applies to the plastic itself and does not apply to any inks used.

– polyamide (PA) including MXD6 as barriers or coatings

– inserts comprised of HDPE, LDPE, Paper or PET

– use of foil

– ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH) exceeding 5% of the total weight

Wood has limited applications in household packaging, but some examples could include:

• Decorative and novel components

• Food trays where there is another material, such as fibre / paper sleeve for food contact

• Wooden batons

• Wooden pallets

Given wood packaging is not eligible for household collection, there is subsequently no sufficiently scaled process for the sortation of household wood packaging items and components and therefore all wood is classified as “Red”.

While wood is technically capable of being reprocessed, it is not practically reprocessed at scale within the household packaging recycling infrastructure.

As a result of it not being collected and/or sorted at a sufficient scale, all household wood packaging is classified as “Red”.

At present, no item of household wood packaging meets this stage of the assessment and therefore no criteria for appropriate applications are defined.

As a result, all wood packaging is classified as “Red”.

Examples of other materials could include:

• Cork

• Bamboo

• Ceramic

• Copper

• Hemp

• Rubber

• Silicone

Given ‘other’ packaging is not eligible for household collection, there is subsequently no sufficiently scaled process for the sortation of household ‘other’ packaging items and components and therefore all ‘other’ packaging is classified as “Red”.

While ‘other’ packaging may technically be capable of being reprocessed, it is not practically reprocessed at scale within the household packaging recycling infrastructure.

As a result of it not being collected and/or sorted at a sufficient scale, all household ‘other’ packaging is classified as “Red”.

At present, no item of household ‘other’ packaging is expected to meet this stage of the assessment and therefore no criteria for appropriate applications are defined.

As a result, all ‘other’ packaging is classified as “Red”.