The UK Packaging Pact has announced the chairs of its five Industry Expert Groups, bringing together leaders from across the packaging value chain to help drive more sustainable packaging systems across the UK.

Launched in April, the ten-year initiative aims to help businesses tackle complex packaging challenges, reduce costs, shape policy and accelerate the transition to a more circular packaging economy. The latest appointments mark another milestone for the Pact as it begins work on delivering its long-term objectives.

The five Industry Expert Groups will focus on key priorities including packaging optimisation, reuse and refill, circular infrastructure, data harmonisation, and films and flexibles.

The newly appointed chairs are:

• Jamie Riley, Head of Sustainability at Robinson Packaging, Chair of the Optimising Packaging Industry Expert Group
• James Bull, Head of Packaging and Food Waste Strategies at Tesco, Chair of the Scale Reuse and Refill Industry Expert Group
• Stuart Hayward-Higham, Chief Technical Development & Innovation Officer at SUEZ Recycling & Recovery UK, Chair of the Circular Infrastructure Investment Industry Expert Group
• Clare Edgar, Head of Packaging at M&S, Chair of the Harmonising Data Industry Expert Group
• Brian Lodge, Director of Packaging at the British Plastics Federation, Chair of the Films and Flexibles Industry Expert Group

Helen Bird, Head of Packaging at WRAP, said: "I am delighted to welcome our Chairs who will provide essential steer on priority workstreams across the Packaging Pact’s Industry Expert Groups. Theirs will be a key role in keeping the Packaging Pact moving forward at pace, and ensuring that action plans and work programmes compliment external initiatives, and meet the needs of industry. I can think of few people better placed than Jamie, James, Stuart, Clare and Brian to fill these crucial roles and look forward to working with them all."

Each Industry Expert Group will meet over the coming months to develop workplans, establish task groups and create high-level roadmaps for their respective goals. The chairs will also join the UK Packaging Pact Advisory Board, with WRAP serving as the programme secretariat.

Speaking about his appointment, Jamie Riley, Head of Sustainability at Robinson PLC, said: "Effective packaging optimisation is about more than simply using less material; it is about ensuring packaging delivers the performance consumers need while minimising environmental impact. As Chair of the Packaging Optimisation Industry Expert Group, I am delighted to work with experts from across the value chain to identify priority actions and support the delivery of practical solutions in areas including unnecessary packaging reduction, design for recycling, recycled content inclusion, removal of problematic materials, bio-based material solutions and emerging recycling technologies. By bringing together expertise from across all packaging materials and formats, we can help accelerate the transition towards a more circular and resource-efficient packaging system."

James Bull, Head of Packaging and Food Waste Strategies at Tesco, added: "Reuse is a key element in delivering a shift to a more circular economy but we know that achieving meaningful progress can only be realised through industry collaboration. That's why the UK Packaging Pact Reuse Industry Expert Group is an important next step, bringing together the best in the industry to focus on delivering scalable reuse solutions that work for businesses and consumers alike. I am delighted to be chairing this expert group as we start to lay the foundations for implementing a reusable packaging model and begin the transition to circularity."

Stuart Hayward-Higham, Chief Technical Development and Innovation Officer for SUEZ in the UK, said: "Infrastructure is a key building block of a circular economy and finance is critical to its delivery. As chair of the Circular Infrastructure Investment group, I’m looking forward to convening expertise from across the value chain to design the infrastructure and investment needs of tomorrow that will support the sector, and help create a thriving, resource efficient UK economy."

Clare Edgar, Head of Packaging at M&S, said: "Harmonising data is critical to unlocking meaningful change across the packaging value chain. I look forward to working with industry partners to simplify reporting, improve transparency and support more sustainable packaging decisions."

The Industry Expert Groups include representatives from organisations spanning the packaging value chain, including retailers, manufacturers, recycling specialists, trade associations and technology providers. New members joining the UK Packaging Pact include Diageo, L'Oréal UK and Ireland, and Pilgrim's Europe, with membership now covering around 90% of the UK's grocery retail market.

The Pact builds on the legacy of the UK Plastics Pact by expanding its scope to include all packaging materials, from plastics and paper to glass, metals and bio-based materials. Through collaboration across industry, government and the wider supply chain, the initiative aims to improve packaging design, increase reuse, strengthen recycling infrastructure and enable better use of data to support more sustainable packaging decisions.

Helen Bird said: "The Packaging Pact is now in its third month, and activities are moving at pace across priorities areas in collaboration with partners. Aside from setting up the critical Expert Groups and Advisory Board, we’re well into the development of an updated strategy for films and flexibles and design guidance continuing engagement with HMRC on the plastics tax, and preparing for the launch of a plastics infrastructure report later this year."