The packaging industry spans many markets; drink, pharmaceutical, beauty and more and so is regulated by many different forms of legislation and voluntary codes.
The drinks industry
Portman Code
The Portman Code was established in 1989 by the UK’s leading drinks manufacturers to promote sensible alcohol consumption in the UK. In 1996 the group developed a Code of Practice on the Naming, Packaging and Merchandising of Alcoholic Drinks that set the boundaries for the marketing of alcohol in all its forms. Under the code, alcoholic drinks brands can be referred to an independent complaints council to decide whether they are in breach of the voluntary code, which prohibits packaging that incites consumers to drink quickly or unduly emphasises a drink's alcohol content. There must also be no association with illegal drugs, sexual success, bravado or violence. Should the produce be found to be in breach of the code the Portman Group will issue a Retailer Alert Bulletin asking retailers not to stock the product. The group offers a free advisory service with details of how to comply with the code.
The pharmaceutical industry
Braille
Braille has been mandatory on new pharmaceutical packaging since 2005 under European Directive 2004/27/EC. By 30th October 2010 it will be mandatory for all pharmaceutical packs to bear the product’s name and strength in Braille under (Article 56(a) of council directive 2001/83/EC). It is important that the Braille does not obscure the printed text for sighted users, but that the dots are of a significant height and well enough defined for anyone who reads Braille can do so easily. Marburg Medium is the preferred Braille font for pharmaceutical packaging, as recommended by the European Commission. However, not everyone in the visually-impaired community can read Braille so there is an argument for instead designing text on pharamceutical packs so that it is
The food industry
Food Labelling
The Food Labelling Regulations 1996 (SI 1996/1499) requires packaging to carry accurate descriptions of the product, including ingredients, place of origin and sell-by date, while there are also laws covering the weights and measures of pre-packed food. More details of which can be found at the Foods Standards Agency.
Most of the major supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s, Asda and Waitrose, have adopted the FSA’s traffic light system denoting sugar, fat and salt content. However, Tesco has put forward its own logos without the colour coding system recommended by the FSA.
The packaging industry
Packaging Waste Directive
The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 1998 put into practice the EC Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste. These regulations came into force on 31 May 1998, but enforcement powers did not come into effect until 1 January 1999. A full copy of the report can be obtained from DEFRA
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/producer/packaging/targets.htm
Under the regulations companies with a turnover of more than £2m, which handle more than 50 million tonnes of packaging a year are legally required to register with the Environment Agency or an approved compliance scheme. Failure to do so can result in large fines.
Packaging Strategy
The Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit called for a review of packaging policy and a new food packaging strategy for England in its Food Matters report in July 2008. The resulting Packaging Strategy outlines the state of the packaging industry in the UK and makes “green” recommendations.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/producer/packaging/documents/full-packaging-strategy.pdf