Tesco tightens packaging rules for suppliers, prioritising widely recyclable UK materials

UK – Tesco has strengthened packaging standards for suppliers with an updated 2026 Preferred Materials List, prioritising fibre, glass, aluminium, and widely collected plastics that can be recycled at scale in the UK.

The update is aimed at simplifying recycling for customers and increasing the use of materials that can be processed through existing UK recycling systems. 

Harder-to-recycle materials are being progressively discouraged, particularly where they rely on complex material combinations that make sorting and reprocessing more difficult. 

Tesco says the intention is to make recycling more consistent for customers and reduce confusion about what can and cannot be recycled at home or through local collection systems. 

The update marks a further step in Tesco’s wider packaging strategy, which focuses on removing unnecessary packaging, reducing material use, increasing reuse where possible, and improving recyclability across its product range.

A Stronger Preference for Mono-Materials

The updated materials list increases expectations for packaging suppliers working across Tesco’s own-brand ranges. 

Packaging design is now expected to align more closely with recyclability standards from the earliest stages of development, including a stronger preference for simpler, single-material packaging formats that are easier to recycle, as well as reduced use of composite structures where separation is difficult. 

Multi-material laminates (e.g., plastic-aluminium-paper) are notoriously difficult to recycle because the layers cannot be separated in standard recycling facilities. 

The shift to mono-materials (all-paper or all-polypropylene) simplifies sorting and increases the yield of recyclate.

Supplier Collaboration

Tesco’s packaging strategy highlights ongoing collaboration with suppliers to redesign packaging where needed, with the aim of improving recyclability without compromising product safety or quality. 

For a supplier of Tesco own-brand biscuits, this might mean switching from a plastic-aluminium laminate wrapper to a polypropylene mono-material film that is recyclable in existing soft-plastic collection schemes. 

For a supplier of own-brand yoghurt, it might mean replacing a polystyrene pot with a polypropylene pot that can be recycled in kerbside collections. 

The updated guidance moves beyond voluntary targets to specific material-level requirements that suppliers must meet to continue supplying Tesco.

Moving Beyond Commitments

The latest update signals that Tesco’s packaging programme is moving from broad commitments towards more detailed material-level requirements across its supply chain.

While some packaging changes will continue to depend on product category and technical constraints, the direction of travel is towards fewer non-recyclable formats and greater standardisation of materials used in everyday grocery packaging. 

Tesco’s wider packaging policy states that it aims to make all own-brand packaging recyclable or reusable over time, supporting a transition towards a more circular packaging system across its UK operations.

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