Want product packaging that’s sustainable, cost-effective, protective, and delivers high visibility? Blister packs could be the solution you’re searching for.
Commonly used for packaging small consumer goods, including cosmetics, stationery, homeware, food and pharmaceutical products, blister packs are a popular packaging material across various UK industries.
While product manufacturers look for many qualities in their packaging, sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the face of tighter regulations, such as The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2015.
Are blister packs recyclable?
Yes, blister packs can often be recycled, if they’re made from cardboard and plastic.
While the cardboard and plastic need to be separated from each other, this typically happens naturally when the end user opens the product. The two materials can then be appropriately recycled using the relevant recycling waste stream.
However, not all blister packs are easy to recycle.
Recycling challenges can occur for blister packs if they’re made from a non-recyclable form of plastic, or combination of foil and plastic. This is because separating these two materials is usually much harder and doesn’t occur naturally when opening the product.
To ensure comprehensive recycling of this type of blister pack, we recommend visiting your local recycling centre or exploring dedicated take-back schemes. Guidance for recycling varies between local authorities in the UK.
How sustainable is blister packaging?
You can’t determine whether modern blister packs are sustainable simply because they use less plastic or because they're recyclable. Instead, the entire product lifecycle should be considered.
To fully assess the sustainability of a certain blister pack, you must weigh several factors, including:
Material selection
Blister packs can be constructed from various materials.
Selecting more sustainable solutions, such as mono-material PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) rather than mixed plastics, can support recyclability by avoiding the use of difficult-to-separate material combinations.
Not to mention, while certain coatings can add extra visual impact, minimising unnecessary coatings and adhesives can also support smoother recycling.
Structural design
Alongside making responsible material selection decisions, sustainability can also be improved by considering the structural design of the packaging.
Well-designed packs that minimise materials or allow for the effortless separation of different material types into their correct recycling streams, reduce environmental impact compared to poorly designed alternatives.
Chosen manufacturer
While more sustainable blister packs (such as those made from paper) can be effective for some products, others – where visibility, hygiene, protection, or tamper evidence is essential – must balance sustainability with effective material selection and manufacturing processes.
Discussing your specific needs with a packaging expert, like Ultragraph, can help you to create a solution that meets practicality requirements while remaining as sustainable as possible.
Eager to ensure the packaging for your product is as sustainable as possible? Speak to the experienced team at Ultragraph today.
We’ll take the time to understand your specific needs and advise the most suitable – and sustainable – route forward.
Why is sustainable packaging important?
Potential cost savings
There’s also plenty of cost savings you can leverage by opting for a more recyclable and sustainable form of plastic packaging.
This is partly due to the UK’s Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) levy, which aims to encourage the use of recycled materials in plastic packaging.
Introduced in April 2022, the rate started at £200 per tonne of plastic packaging that contains less than 30% recycled content in 2022-2023, but has gradually risen over the years and is now £228.82 per tonne, as of April 2026.
As a result, opting for packaging the contains more recycled material can help you to avoid paying this additional levy.
Regulatory compliance
Following the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging in 2023 (which took full effect in 2025), the burden of managing the cost of household packaging waste was moved from the end user to the product producers.
Obligated UK businesses must now report data, purchase recycling notes – such as packaging waste recycling notes (PRNs) and packaging waste export recycling notes (PERNs) - and pay waste fees covering the full net costs of collection and disposal.
Subsequently, these businesses are required to pay higher financial charges for any packaging that is more difficult to recycle than packaging that’s designed with widely recyclable materials.
Company reputation
Many companies want to promote themselves as a sustainable organisation as this approach tends to support long-term profitability, attract conscious consumers and top talent, and even satisfy investors.
However, to reap these rewards to their fullest, their approach to sustainability must be authentic and followed with clear actions, such as embedding measurable Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives across their core operations, including their packaging design and production processes.
Sustainable blister packaging at Ultragraph
Keen to protect your products and the environment at the same time? With recyclable blister packaging, your business can impress its customers and meet key sustainability goals in the UK.
At Ultragraph, our expert team provides all the decades of hands-on experience, deep industry knowledge, latest tech, and problem-solving mindset to help you explore the most suitable blister packaging solutions.
Whether you’re interested in blister packs with a specialist foil blocking finish, UV varnish, lamination, or embossing, we’ll work with you to create impactful and sustainable blister packaging.
To get the ball rolling, please feel free to give us a call today on 01704 893938.
We also welcome enquiries submitted using our convenient online contact form!
