OPRL is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, any surpluses being reinvested in our activities to promote recycling of packaging. The company launched in March 2009.
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To collaborate across the packaging cycle to drive circularity and a transformation in packaging resource efficiency.
The Board of Independent Directors come from a wide range of backgrounds. Some have a retail or manufacturing background so understand the challenges faced when designing, specifying and manufacturing packaging. Others come from local and central government, resource management, charity, environmental compliance and marketing backgrounds. Our Chair has been involved in the scheme since before its launch in 2009, as have two other Directors.
We operate the OPRL scheme under an exclusive licence from WRAP to use the ‘Recycle Now’ iconography. Under the scheme OPRL Ltd sub-licenses this right on an annually renewable basis to any company designing, manufacturing or placing own brand or branded consumer packaging on the UK market, whether or not they are themselves based in the UK. It is not permissible to use the ‘Recycle Now’ swoosh or any derivative images on packaging while outside OPRL membership: we enforce our rights.
We also provide a number of online tools and services under license or via contracts with third party providers.

As a company limited by guarantee, we are backed by organisations sharing our objective of maximising the effective recycling of packaging materials, but who do not have any controlling or financial interest in OPRL Ltd. We report to them annually on our progress against our Business Strategy at our AGM each November.
We’ve also taken action to support specific initiatives underpinning Pact targets on 100% of plastics packaging being reusable, recyclable or compostable and 70% of plastics packaging being effectively recycled. Our REFILL labels support the roll out of reuse systems and reduction of single-use packaging and our ‘Certified as Recyclable’ service ensures recyclability claims are valid. Extending our specialist film label to PP films will support new in-store take-back facilities being rolled out by supermarkets with brand-owner support.
In August 2021 we published our Baseline and Action Plan on nine UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing an integrated framework for our governance and services, and enabling us to align with and support members’ commitments.
While the majority of our chosen SDGs: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure; Sustainable Cities and Communities; Responsible Consumption and Production; Climate Action; Life Below Water and Life on Land, relate to our environmental purpose in driving circularity and transforming resource efficiency, we have also chosen three social goals relating to our staff and suppliers: Good Health and Wellbeing; Decent Work and Economic Growth and Reduced Inequalities. The inter-relationships between these SDGs mean our 26 commitments deliver multiple benefits. Our International Women’s Day lunch was a definite highlight. The UN Global Compact’s SDG Action Manager tool enables us to measure our baseline performance, define targets and benchmark progress. Board oversight at every meeting ensures the SDGs are embedded into everything we do.
We were awarded a 5* rating by Support the Goals and will report progress annually each August.