The European Recycling Platform UK (ERP UK) has become the latest company to join the expanding membership of the On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) scheme as it seeks to boost consumer engagement in recycling and boost recycling rates.

ERP UK is a compliance scheme that helps companies with the complex data collection and analysis required to meet the UK’s packaging waste regulations through the ERP data service. ERP UK has joined OPRL following the release of the Resources and Waste Strategy in December last year, which contained reference to making recycling easier for consumers through better product labelling and supporting sustainable material choices.

The OPRL scheme, which was founded in 2009 by leading retailers and brands to engage consumers more actively in recycling and last year reached 250 members, has three categories indicating a packaging item’s recyclability.

These categories are:

• Widely recycled – 75 per cent or more of UK local authorities collect that type of packaging;
• Check local recycling – between 20 and 75 per cent of UK local authorities collect that type of packaging; and
• Not currently recycled – fewer than 20 per cent of UK local authorities collect that type of packaging.

Over 600 brands now use the label system to inform consumers about the recyclability of their products’ packaging.

Commenting on ERP UK’s decision to join the OPRL, Jane Bevis, Chair of OPRL Ltd, said:
“We're delighted that ERP UK is joining OPRL. Consumers are calling for clear, simple and consistent labelling, to help reduce confusion, and this new alliance enables us to work together and support retailers and brands in achieving.”

John Redmayne, ERP UK’s Managing Director, added: “The Resources and Waste Strategy signals the UK’s commitment to moving away from the ‘take, make, use, throw away’ model towards a more circular economy. As a company providing data services, as well as packaging compliance for our members, we are always looking to help drive up packaging recycling rates. Working in partnership with OPRL, ERP can add value to members by supporting brands, retailers and packaging designers in selecting the correct labelling, designing more sustainable packaging, and benchmarking existing portfolios.”

ERP’s membership is but the latest development in what has been a period of rapid growth for OPRL. INCPEN (the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment) became the latest guarantor of the scheme in September 2018, joining ACE UK (the Alliance for Beverage cartons and the Environment), CPI (the Confederation of Paper Industries), LARAC (the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee) and RECOUP.

In August of last year, Ecosurety became the first compliance scheme to join forces with OPRL, closely followed by Valpak in September, while Stuart Lendrum became the new OPRL Executive Director in April.

OPRL has also launched new online and member support services over the last 18 months, including a label artwork library, a tool to help members identify the correct labels and a matrix tool to aid in building an accurate label.