Recyclability (RAM) overview
The Recyclability (RAM) module gives each product a red / amber / green recyclability rating, computed from the packaging data you already hold. That rating is not academic: in the UK it modulates your EPR fee - green packaging earns a discount and red packaging pays a premium.
What RAM is
RAM is PackUK's Recyclability Assessment Methodology 2027. It rates each UK packaging component across four stages of the recycling journey and takes the worst stage as that component's rating:
| Stage | Question it asks |
|---|---|
| 1. Collection | Is the packaging collected for recycling? |
| 2. Sortation | Can it be sorted into the right stream? |
| 3. Reprocessing | Can it actually be reprocessed? |
| 4. Application | Can the recyclate be used again? |
A separate automatic-red rule applies to packaging containing certain substances or constructions, regardless of the four stages.
:::info Every rating is cited, never guessed Oblifee reads the brain's cited design-criterion facts - each carrying the published RAM 2027 rating for a material family and its GOV.UK citation. Where a material has more than one construction, the most conservative (worst) rating is taken as its default. A material the brain holds no criterion for comes back as assess - an honest unknown, never a guessed green. :::
Why it matters: modulated-fee risk
From 2026-27 the UK pEPR fee is eco-modulated by the RAM rating:
| Pack rating | Fee effect |
|---|---|
| 🟢 Green | A discount on the base fee. |
| 🟠 Amber | No change. |
| 🔴 Red | A premium on top of the base fee. |
So a red rating is a direct, recurring cost - and a green one a saving - on every unit you place on the UK market. RAM turns your packaging into that risk, at a glance, before the fee lands. The mechanics of how the rating feeds the fee are in Fees & eco-modulation.
:::note UK methodology RAM is a UK method, so ratings are produced for the GB market only. Other markets return no rating rather than a misapplied one. :::
The reference page
/portal/ram is the cited rule set you can read and link to: the four stages, the
automatic-red rule, and each material family's default rating with its reasoning and
GOV.UK citations. It is kept aligned to PackUK's source by the brain's daily sweep.
:::note RAM is a rating, not a label The RAM rating that modulates your fee is a different thing from the on-pack recycling mark a consumer reads. For the marks, see On-pack labelling. :::
Where to go next
- How RAM scoring works - how a product's rating is produced and shown.
- Improving a score - practical steps from red or amber to green.
- Fees & eco-modulation - how the rating changes your fee.