Staying Ahead of the Curve: New RAM Guidance for Catering and Hospitality Businesses
As part of our ongoing commitment to a more sustainable future, we are issuing important guidance to our valued customers in the catering and hospitality sector. This follows the latest update to the Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM), a key component of the UK’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation.
From 1st January 2025, all household-like packaging placed on the market must be assessed under RAM and reported with a Red, Amber, or Green (RAG) classification. This classification directly impacts the EPR fees applied to packaging, incentivising more sustainable choices.
What You Need to Know
RAM evaluates packaging across five critical end-of-life stages:
- Classification – How packaging and its components are assessed
- Collection – How packaging is collected for recycling
- Sortation – How it is separated into appropriate waste streams
- Reprocessing – The technical recycling process
- Application – The quality and usability of the recycled material
The RAG System Explained
- Green: Widely recyclable in the UK
- Amber: Recyclable but with challenges or requiring specialist infrastructure
- Red: Difficult to recycle at scale
This system ensures that packaging with better recyclability receives lower EPR fees, encouraging environmentally responsible design and procurement.
What This Means for You
We are actively reviewing how RAM affects the products we supply and integrating this into our EPR reporting ahead of the HY1 2025 deadline in October. Our goal is to help your business remain legislatively compliant while supporting your sustainability goals.
How We’re Helping
This initiative is a cornerstone of our ‘Sustainable Future’ programme, designed to help our partners reduce environmental impact and lead the way in responsible catering and hospitality. We encourage all customers to:
- Review packaging choices
- Understand the RAG classifications
- Engage with us for tailored support
For more information or to discuss how RAM affects your business, please contact us – or click here for the factsheet.
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