UK Packaging

How ethical is UK Packaging?

UK Packaging is a packaging company which has achieved The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark on our Ethical Packaging Ratings Table. With a score of 73 out of 100, UK Packaging meets the benchmark threshold, though consumers should be aware that this represents the minimum qualifying score and that stronger alternatives exist within the sector.

However, UK Packaging has not yet obtained The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation. Achieving accreditation would provide independent verification of the brand’s ethical practices and help consumers easily identify UK Packaging as a certified ethical choice within the packaging sector.

What does UK Packaging do?

UK Packaging Supplies Ltd was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Tottenham, London. The company is privately held and operates multiple distribution centres across the UK, supplying a broad range of packaging materials including cartons, boxes, tapes, cushioning, pallet wrap, strapping, and packaging machinery to trade and retail customers across e-commerce, food manufacturing, and pharmaceutical sectors. UK Packaging offers an eco-packaging range that includes products containing recycled content, and promotes sustainable alternatives to help customers reduce their reliance on single-use plastics and Plastic Packaging Tax liability.

Why does UK Packaging perform well ethically?

UK Packaging achieves good ratings across several criteria. The brand receives a good rating for pollution prevention and maintains good standards for animal welfare and responsible marketing. UK Packaging receives good ratings for armaments and political donations, confirming no involvement in defence or weapons-related sectors and neutral political donation practices. The brand has no documented public record criticisms. As a long-established independent company with over four decades of operation, UK Packaging serves a broad range of customers without the external shareholder pressures that can affect ethical decision-making in larger multinational structures.

What could improve UK Packaging’s ethical positioning?

While UK Packaging demonstrates solid ethical performance across several criteria, three areas present opportunities for improvement. The company’s environmental report rating is acceptable rather than good, which represents a meaningful gap for a company that actively promotes sustainable packaging alternatives and helps customers reduce their plastic footprint. Publishing a more comprehensive and transparent environmental report would provide stakeholders with independently verified data on the company’s sustainability performance and strengthen its credibility as a sustainable packaging supplier.

UK Packaging’s ratings for toxic chemicals policy and fossil fuels are also acceptable rather than good, indicating further room for improvement in chemical management practices and energy transition commitments across its operations and delivery fleet.

Most significantly, UK Packaging receives a poor rating for vegan options, indicating limited focus on plant-based or vegan-certified packaging solutions within its product range. Expanding its eco-packaging offering to include certified vegan or plant-based alternatives would help address this gap and align more closely with the sustainable packaging credentials the company promotes.

Obtaining The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation would strengthen consumer confidence in UK Packaging’s ethical practices by providing independent third-party verification of its commitments, making it easier for consumers to identify the brand as a certified ethical choice.

Given that UK Packaging scores at the minimum threshold, consumers are encouraged to consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Packaging Ratings Table to identify higher-ranking brands with stronger ethical credentials. Our how we rate page explains the criteria used to assess all brands in this sector.