Paper Protective Packaging: Plastic-Free Void Fill That Lowers EPR Fees
Bubble wrap, air pillows and foam are plastic — and from 2026 plastic costs you more in EPR fees. Paper void fill, paper bubble wrap and honeycomb protect just as well, in a lower-fee material category that's recycled in the same kerbside stream as your box.
The problem with plastic protective packaging
Plastic bubble wrap, air pillows and foam do the protective job, but under the UK's Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) they now carry a cost penalty on two fronts.
First, they're plastic — one of the highest base-fee material categories per tonne, well above paper and card. Second, plastic protective materials usually aren't collected at kerbside, so they're harder-to-recycle and rate poorly, which means a red multiplier on top of the base fee: 1.2× in 2026/27, rising to 1.6× in 2027/28 and 2.0× in 2028/29.
There's a third, quieter problem: when plastic void fill goes into a cardboard box, it mixes materials. The customer has to separate the plastic out before the box can be recycled — and if they don't, it can contaminate the paper stream.
How paper protective packaging is assessed
Switching your protective packaging to paper does three things at once:
- Moves the weight into a lower-fee category. Paper sits well below plastic on the per-tonne base fee.
- Earns a better recyclability rating. Paper is widely collected at kerbside, so paper void fill and wrap are well placed for the green discount rather than a red multiplier.
- Keeps the whole parcel one stream. Paper protective material goes in the same recycling as the box around it — no separation, no contamination, no mixed-material penalty.
Because EPR fees are charged per tonne, lightweight paper protection also keeps the tonnage you're charged on low — protecting the item without adding plastic weight to your return.
Our paper protective range
Mono-material — single paper stream
Paper void fill Concertina or shredded kraft fills empty space and cushions contents — replaces plastic air pillows and loose-fill, recycled kerbside as one paper stream.
Paper bubble wrap Die-cut expanding kraft wraps and protects fragile items — a plastic-free alternative to bubble wrap that recycles with your box, no separation.
Honeycomb paper wrap Expandable honeycomb kraft gives strong impact and edge protection for heavier or awkward items — fully paper, widely recycled, no plastic layer inside.
What you could save
The saving from switching protective packaging to paper stacks the same two effects as mailers: a cheaper material category, plus moving from a red multiplier to a green discount — a gap that widens each year as the red multiplier climbs.
Because protective packaging is bought by volume rather than by the unit, the most reliable way to size your saving is on your actual materials and quantities. Send us your current protective spec and monthly volumes and we'll model the EPR fee difference against your real ratings — no estimate or guesswork.
Already costing your mailers? Try the EPR fee estimator on our mailing bags page.
Shop paper protective packaging
[Link through to Paper Void Fill, Paper Bubble Wrap and Honeycomb categories + featured products]
Not sure which protection level you need? Our team can match the right paper option to your products.
Paper void fill
Concertina or shredded kraft fills empty space and cushions contents, replacing plastic air pillows and loose-fill — recycled kerbside as one paper stream.
Paper bubble wrap
Die-cut expanding kraft wraps and protects fragile items, a plastic-free alternative to bubble wrap that recycles with your cardboard box, no separation needed.
Honeycomb paper wrap
Expandable honeycomb kraft delivers strong impact and edge protection for heavier or awkward items — fully paper, widely recycled kerbside, no plastic layer inside.
Explore the full EPR packaging range
Every product below is chosen to help lower your EPR fees — by switching to a lower-fee material category, cutting weight, or keeping packaging a single recyclable stream. Start with the EPR-friendly packaging hub for how the fees work, or go straight to a product family:
- Mono-material mailing bags — paper mailers that replace two-material bubble-lined bags, assessed as a single paper component.
- Paper protective packaging & void fill — paper void fill, bubble wrap and honeycomb that replace plastic, recycled in one paper stream. You're here already!
- Recyclable cardboard boxes — the lowest-fee mainstream material, with SMART fluting to cut weight without losing strength.
- Paper tape & closures — gummed paper tape that seals boxes and recycles with them as one fibre stream.
- Lightweight stretch film — thinner, stronger film that puts less plastic by weight on every pallet.
Not sure where the biggest saving is? Send us your current packaging and we'll model it.