Fraudulent recycled content claims on imported plastic packaging are undermining the UK's Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) and threatening the survival of domestic recycling operations, according to a new report from RECOUP, the UK’s plastics recycling charity. RECOUP surveyed 15 plastic packaging manufacturers, with three reporting direct harm to their operations as a result of fraudulent claims. Steven Morgan, Head of Policy and Infrastructure at RECOUP, said: "The UK imports around half the plastic packaging it places onto the market, and this includes packaging with claims of recycled content." He warned that false claims, particularly from imported material, could trigger "a collapse of the plastic packaging recycling system in the UK as we know it". Plastic Packaging Tax receipts totalled £259 million in 2024-2025, down 3 per cent from the previous year despite rising packaging volumes.