Valpak played a pivotal role in shaping UK packaging policy through its long-standing collaboration with Defra, WRAP, and the UK Plastics Pact. Central to this influence is the PackFlow series—a suite of evidence-based reports that map packaging material flows, forecast recycling infrastructure needs, and underpin packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) reform.
As the UK prepared to overhaul its packaging waste system, policymakers faced a critical gap: reliable, granular data on how packaging moves through the economy. Without this, it was impossible to set realistic recycling targets, design effective infrastructure, or avoid unintended consequences in legislation.
Valpak’s PackFlow reports filled this gap. By combining their proprietary granular packaging database, producer data, waste composition studies, and real-world recycling performance, Valpak created detailed models of packaging flows across the UK. These insights were used by Defra to shape EPR proposals, by WRAP to guide Plastics Pact targets, and by industry to benchmark performance and plan investments.
PackFlow didn’t just inform policy—it became part of it. The reports have also helped define what “best-in-class” packaging looks like, identify areas for and potential impacts of policy intervention, greenwashing risks, and spotlight materials needing innovation or support.