When a packaging component receives a Red or Amber rating in RAM Assess, it means there is an issue affecting its recyclability score. Each issue type highlights the reason for this rating, based on the Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) and the latest government guidance.
Below are the issue types you may see and what they mean:
This means the component is missing required information that RAM Assess needs in order to apply the methodology correctly.
Action: Review your upload file for any columns marked as Mandatory that may be missing data.
This indicates that the component contains values that do not match the expected format or type, such as a number entered where text is expected, or an unrecognised text value.
Action: Check that all data follows the validation rules provided in the upload template.
This means your component is linked to another component (as indicated in Columns Y and Z) and is inheriting the RAG rating of that primary component, which has been identified as having a higher weight (Column N).
Action: Review the related component’s information to understand the reason for the inherited rating.
The component has received a Red or Amber rating at the Collection stage, as outlined in the government guidance.
Action: Assess whether the component can be widely collected through kerbside or bring collection systems.
The component is failing at the Application stage of the assessment.
Action: Check whether the packaging material can be correctly applied or used in a form that supports recycling.
This issue type indicates that the component cannot be effectively sorted using current sorting technologies and infrastructure.
Action: Review your component's characteristics to determine if it can be separated correctly in the recycling stream.
The component is falling short at the Reprocessing stage, meaning that it cannot be successfully processed into a secondary material.
Action: Evaluate whether the material type and design allow for effective reprocessing.
This means the component has failed the Problematic Packaging assessment (based on Columns AB to AE in the upload template), and is considered difficult to recycle due to certain characteristics.
Action: Refer to the relevant columns to understand which problematic criteria apply.
For more information on how the Recyclability Assessment Methodology is applied, please see the official government guidance here.
If you require further support interpreting your results, please contact our team on ram@clarity.eco.