UK PRN procurement
Secure competitive PRNs with confidence. Benefit from audited recycling evidence, exclusive reprocessor relationships, deep market insights and the option to active-buy.
What are PRNs?
A PRN is an electronic certificate confirming that one tonne of post-consumer packaging material has been recycled in the UK, issued only by accredited UK reprocessors. A PERN (Packaging waste Export Recovery Note) meanwhile, provides proof that packaging material has been exported for recycling by accredited UK exporters.
Material specific PRNs and PERNs are issued per packaging material, including glass, plastic, aluminium, steel, paper/board and wood.
When large producers report packaging placed on the UK market under EPR, the regulator calculates a material specific PRN obligation which is met by purchasing the appropriate number of PRNs or PERNs.
As your compliance scheme, we handle this obligation for you and provide competitive, audited PRNs with several buying options.
PRN procurement options to suit you
We provide three PRN procurement options to suit your business:
Scheme PRNs
- We purchase PRNs for you as part of our overall scheme obligation
- We decide when to buy from the market, based on our expert analysis and forecasting
- Benefit from competitive pricing due to our scheme buying power and reprocessor relationships
- Relied on by 99% of our compliance customers
Active-buy PRNs
- We consult with you to approve PRN buying decisions
- We recommend procurement opportunities and exclusive reprocessor relationships
- You decide the timing, spend and source of your PRNs
- Perfect if you want 100% control of your PRN investments
Direct-buy PRNs
- For producers who are not registered with our compliance scheme
- Leave the buying decisions to us or choose active-buy PRNs
- We transfer the PRNs to you or your allocated compliance scheme
- Benefit from our competitive PRN procurement - even if you’re under contract with another compliance scheme or directly registered
Trusted by major brands and retailers
Ecosurety assured
For over 20 years we’ve fostered trusted relationships with UK reprocessors, establishing exclusive contracts and close collaborations. Our customers benefit with competitive pricing, reduced volatility and reliable recycling evidence supply.
We favour suppliers on a Net Zero pathway and we carefully audit their ESG credentials and recycling evidence to ensure it is genuine, ethical and their operations are as low-impact as possible.
Our dedicated procurement team also use real‑time insights, detailed market analysis and predictive forecasting to inform every buying decision - keeping costs as competitive as possible.
We also work hard to keep our customers fully informed, with regular 1-2-1 commercial updates, quarterly PRN market reports and exclusive PRN market insights available online, updated daily.
Understand the PRN market
Our PRN market insights tool helps you understand how PRN market performance impacts your compliance costs and our PRN procurement strategy.
Exclusive to Ecosurety customers, the data reflects our industry insight, recycler relationships and expert analysis, to provide indicative market averages.
Updated daily and available online, it’s there whenever you need a PRN market update.
“We chose Ecosurety because we were extremely impressed by their unwavering commitment to greater transparency inside the PRN system.”
Michelle Norman
External Affairs and Sustainability Director at Lucozade Ribena Suntory
Get in touch
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Enquire about PRN support
Get the knowledge
Understand PRNs
Understand what Packaging waste Recovery Notes (PRNs) are and how they relate to your packaging compliance obligation.
What is packaging EPR?
Understand what packaging EPR is, why it is taking place and how it impacts your organisation.
How to improve your packaging and reduce EPR costs
EPR measures provide an unprecedented incentive to improve your packaging - find out what action you can take now to reduce your liabilities and environmental impact.
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