{"id":11978,"date":"2026-03-02T00:37:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T05:37:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/?p=11978"},"modified":"2026-03-02T00:37:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T05:37:15","slug":"uk-clarifies-packaging-rules-for-recalled-asbestos-products","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/?p=11978","title":{"rendered":"UK clarifies packaging rules for recalled asbestos products"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-image\">\n<figure class=\"article-image__container\">\n                                    <picture><source media=\"(min-width: 990px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.packaging-gateway.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/03\/Asbestos-770x433.jpg\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 430px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.packaging-gateway.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2026\/03\/Asbestos-940x528.jpg\"\/>\n                                    <\/picture><figcaption class=\"c-featured-image__description\">The England-only rules allow short-term storage and opening of outer packaging if asbestos materials stay sealed and are disposed of within three months. \/ Credit: luchschenF via Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"drop-cap\">The UK Environment Agency has issued clear guidance on how businesses in England can handle the packaging of recalled products that may contain asbestos.<\/p>\n<p>The guidance, called Regulatory Position Statement 367 (RPS 367), explains when companies can temporarily store and open packaging without needing a full environmental permit.<\/p>\n<div class=\"in-article-premium-insights mobile-useragent-scalar\">\n<section class=\"gms-b2b-marketing\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.packaging-gateway.com\/wp-content\/themes\/goodlife-wp-B2B\/assets\/images\/GMS-logo.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n<h4> Discover B2B Marketing That Performs <\/h4>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCombine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.globaldatamarketingsolutions.com\/\" class=\"gms-find-out-more\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFind out more <span><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"13\" height=\"9\" viewbox=\"0 0 13 9\" fill=\"none\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.685 4.5548L1.25586 4.5548L11.685 4.5548Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M11.685 4.5548L1.25586 4.5548\" stroke=\"white\" stroke-width=\"1.03145\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><path d=\"M7.85693 0.918855L11.9827 4.5731L7.85693 8.33789\" stroke=\"white\" stroke-width=\"1.03145\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p>The update was published on 27 February 2026 and applies only in England.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-the-new-packaging-guidance-allows\">What the new packaging guidance allows<\/h2>\n<p>When a product is officially recalled in the UK because it may contain asbestos, it often needs to be returned through the supply chain. This can involve storing the goods in a warehouse and opening outer packaging to check or separate items before sending them for safe disposal.<\/p>\n<p>Under RPS 367, the Environment Agency says it will not normally take enforcement action if businesses temporarily store and de-package these recalled goods without an environmental permit, provided strict conditions are met.<\/p>\n<p>These conditions include:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The product must be listed on the official UK product safety recall list for asbestos-related recalls.<\/li>\n<li>The business must be the manufacturer, distributor or retailer involved in the recall.<\/li>\n<li>Any asbestos-containing material must remain sealed in its original inner packaging.<\/li>\n<li>The goods must not be stored for more than three months.<\/li>\n<li>No processing or treatment of the asbestos material is allowed at the site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In simple terms, companies can open outer packaging to manage the recall process, but they cannot interfere with sealed asbestos-containing materials inside.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-still-requires-a-permit\">What still requires a permit<\/h2>\n<p>The guidance does not remove the need for an environmental permit in general. It only covers the specific situation of short-term storage and limited de-packaging during a product recall.<\/p>\n<p>If a business:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>stores the products for longer than three months,<\/li>\n<li>removes asbestos material from sealed packaging, or<\/li>\n<li>carries out any treatment or processing activity,<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>then normal environmental permitting rules apply.<\/p>\n<p>The Environment Agency makes clear that this position only applies if all stated conditions are followed.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-this-matters-for-packaging-and-logistics\">Why this matters for packaging and logistics<\/h2>\n<p>Product recalls involving asbestos can create practical challenges for packaging and logistics teams. Goods must be collected, stored safely, and sent for disposal without creating further risk.<\/p>\n<p>This guidance gives businesses a defined, time-limited way to handle packaging during an asbestos recall without immediately applying for a waste permit. It supports reverse logistics operations while maintaining controls to protect workers, the public and the environment.<\/p>\n<p>The rules apply only in England. Businesses operating elsewhere in the UK must follow the requirements of their relevant environmental regulator.<\/p>\n<p><!-- Newsletter banner start --><\/p>\n<p><!-- <link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"\"> --><\/p>\n<div class=\"grid-container\">\n<section class=\"gdm-newsletter-banner__container\">\n<div class=\"grid-x gdm-newsletter-banner__wrapper-container gdm-newsletter-banner__wrapper-container--article\">\n<div class=\"cell large-9 gdm-newsletter-banner-info__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"gdm-newsletter-banner-logo__container\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.packaging-gateway.com\/wp-content\/themes\/goodlife-wp-B2B\/assets\/images\/newsletter-new.svg\" alt=\"Email newsletter icon\"\/>\n                <\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"gdm-newsletter-banner__heading wp-noreslt\">Sign up for our daily news round-up!<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"gdm-newsletter-banner__sub-heading\">Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights.<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- Newsletter banner end --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"article-footer\">\n                                <!-- article-actions start --><\/p>\n<p><!-- .gdm-article-actions -->                                <!-- article-actions end --><br \/>\n                            <\/footer>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.packaging-gateway.com\/news\/uk-clarifies-packaging-rules-for-recalled-asbestos-products\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The England-only rules allow short-term storage and opening of outer packaging if asbestos materials stay sealed and are disposed of within three months. \/ Credit: luchschenF via Shutterstock The UK Environment Agency has issued clear guidance on how businesses in England can handle the packaging of recalled products that may contain asbestos. The guidance, called [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":11979,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[3689],"class_list":["post-11978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-packaging-news","tag-uk-clarifies-packaging-rules-for-recalled-asbestos-products"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11978","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11978"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11978\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11978"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}