UK Packaging Regulations

There are strict regulations for packaging in the UK and to give you a better understanding of these regulations, we’re going to explore them in more detail.

To comply with the packaging standards that have been updated for 2021, companies must work through a practice to fully ensure that their decisions for their packaging takes into account social, environmental and economic factors to identify a solution that is best for the product, the distribution system and how it will be ultimately stored and used.

There is also a big focus on the inclusion of heavy metals in packaging that is the main requirement of the UK packaging regulations. While it is noted that the inclusion of such materials is rarely done on purpose, companies are still required to do their utmost to check packaging to assure that no heavy metals are contained within it. They provide the following advice to support companies in these compliance checks:

Glass (undecorated). Glass containers may contain lead due to its unintentional introduction to recycled glass. This may be from lead containing glass or old wine bottle capsules. The derogation in the legislation for glass packaging allows heavy metal levels of above 100 ppm in glass packaging under certain conditions.
Glass (decorated). Enamels used to decorated or print on glass may contain lead oxide as a basic component and cadmium may be used in bright red and yellow enamels. A number of major producers signed a voluntary agreement aiming to phase out the use of heavy metals in enamels in enamelled glass.
Non-food grade plastics. Pigments containing cadmium are occasionally still found, as is the use of lead chromate for yellow, orange and red pigments. A derogation from the heavy metal limits has been agreed for plastic pallets and crates manufactured by recycling old plastic pallets and crates in closed loop schemes.
Drums. Lead chromate or other hexavalent chromium compounds may be used in some colours of coatings for metal drums.
Non-food metal containers. Rarely, lead solder may be used in metal container construction.
Pigments and inks. May in a few cases be based on lead, cadmium or hexavalent chromium compounds.