Guidance

Recyclability assessment methodology: materials and outputs

How to categorise and rate individual materials under the recyclability assessment methodology (RAM).

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 23 December 2024
• Last updated: 4 September 2025
  Show all updates

  1. 4 September 2025

     Updated list of links to other RAM guidance, including new link to 'supplementary' clarifications and additions guidance to help you carry out your RAM assessment.

  2. 28 April 2025

     This is version 1.1 of the recyclability assessment methodology. It removes some of the criteria that make various materials as 'amber' and 'red'. These changes are explained in the body of the document.

  3. 17 February 2025

     This update clarifies the language around collection assessment for materials that are not kerbside collected nor part of a takeback scheme, removes some references to drink containers and corrects the full name of PAE to polyamide epichlorohydrin

  4. 23 December 2024

     First published.

Documents

Recyclability assessment methodology: assessing materials

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Details

This is detailed technical guidance for the recyclability assessment methodology (RAM).

There are sections on each of the materials that much be assessed for the RAM. Each section explains:

• what kind of packaging units or components belong in this category
• the recyclability of sub-materials when assessed against 4 factors - collection, sortation, reprocessing and application
• an output for each sub-material - red, amber or green

This output should be recorded and submitted when you report your packaging data.

You should read this guide alongside other RAM information that covers:  

• how to assess your packaging waste  

• definitions and background - this explains the stages of recyclability and some technical terms 

• clarifications and additional information to help you carry out your RAM assessment 

• the RAM decision tree

The RAM is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

June 2025 regulatory position statement on the RAM

The environmental regulators have issued a statement on collecting and reporting data under the RAM.

This only applies to Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) data collection and reporting. It does not apply to any other data you must collect and report for EPR for packaging.

Read the regulatory position statement to understand how this affects your data submission.