RAM v1.1 vs RAM 2027: Which UK Packaging EPR Method Applies to Your Reporting Year?
Published August 2026 by Solarc Labs
RAM 2027 is published, but 2026 reporting still uses RAM v1.1
PackUK published RAM 2027 in July 2026. Its current GOV.UK page explicitly says to use RAM version 1.1 for the 2026 reporting year and RAM 2027 for packaging supplied in the 2027 reporting year. That distinction matters because a team preparing 2026-H1 or 2026-H2 data can see the newer methodology online and accidentally assume “latest” means “applicable now.” Treat the reporting year as the version selector. Record the methodology and evidence version beside the data set instead of relying on whichever browser bookmark was opened most recently.
The reporting file uses rating codes; the methodology determines the rating
The current reporting-file specification exposes RAM rating codes such as R, A and G, with medical variants where relevant. Those codes are the representation used in the file. They are not a substitute for applying the correct RAM methodology to the packaging in scope. A data pipeline should therefore separate two checks: whether the submitted code is allowed in that field, and whether the producer has evidence that the rating was actually assessed under the methodology applicable to the reporting year.
Do not silently recalculate historical or 2026 data under RAM 2027
An annual methodology update can change rules, definitions or how teams interpret packaging components. If a system overwrites the assessment logic globally when RAM 2027 is introduced, an old 2026 record can become impossible to reproduce. Preserve the original reporting year, methodology identifier, source packaging facts and assessment evidence. If the organisation chooses to model a future RAM 2027 outcome for planning, keep that forecast separate from the rating actually reported for 2026.
Build migration tests before the 2027 reporting year starts
The useful preparation for RAM 2027 is not to rewrite 2026 submissions. It is to identify which data fields and packaging attributes the 2027 assessment needs, compare those with the current product and packaging master, and create test cases for changed rules before 2027 data collection is relied on. For organisations with many SKUs, versioned test fixtures help show whether the same packaging facts produce intentionally different results under different methodology years or whether a mapping regression has been introduced.
EPR Preflight can check the reporting handoff, not decide the RAM assessment for you
EPR Preflight can help surface deterministic file and cross-row problems in a bounded reporting corpus. It should not infer a recyclability rating where the assessment evidence is missing, and it is not a substitute for PackUK's RAM guidance, professional advice where needed, a compliance scheme or the environmental regulator. Use preflight to keep the file structurally coherent and to make unresolved rating evidence visible. Use the official RAM methodology to determine the underlying assessment.
Primary sources
Sources used for this article
Continue the job