If your business buys stretch wrap in any real volume, the UK’s Plastic Packaging Tax is worth understanding — because the recycled content already built into a roll can directly reduce what you owe.
What the Plastic Packaging Tax actually requires
Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) applies to plastic packaging manufactured in or imported into the UK that contains less than 30% recycled plastic. Packaging that meets or exceeds the 30% threshold is exempt from the tax. The rate and exact thresholds are set by HMRC and can change, so always check HMRC’s current guidance for your specific situation — this article explains the principle, not tax advice for your business.
Where Hilux Poly stands
Every roll we supply — across all five of our SKUs, clear or black, 17 Micron or 23 Micron, standard or extended core — contains 30% or more post-consumer recycled (PCR) content. This isn’t a top-of-range option or a separate premium product; it’s the standard specification across our entire range. Post-consumer recycled content means the recycled material comes from plastic that has already been used and collected for recycling, rather than manufacturing offcuts alone.
Why this matters beyond the tax itself
If you’re the end business applying the film (rather than the manufacturer), PPT liability usually sits further up the supply chain. But recycled content still matters to you directly: many businesses now need to report the recycled content of packaging they use as part of their own sustainability disclosures, customer requirements, or tender conditions. Being able to state a verified 30%+ post-consumer recycled figure, roll for roll, is often exactly the kind of evidence procurement teams and auditors ask for.
What to ask any stretch film supplier
If a supplier can’t tell you the exact recycled content percentage of the film you’re buying, or whether it’s post-consumer or post-industrial material, that’s worth asking directly — the difference affects both tax treatment and genuine environmental impact. We publish this figure because we’re confident it holds up to scrutiny, in the same way we publish roll weight rather than leaving it to the small print.
Browse our full stretch film range — every roll listed carries the same 30%+ post-consumer recycled content as standard.