Fewer than twelve months after launch, Go-Pak Group‘s Go-Recycle scheme has collected and exported more than 16,000 tonnes of old corrugated cardboard for recycling and reuse. The closed-loop initiative, developed with parent company SCG Packaging (SCGP), pairs packaging supply with waste collection so that businesses can return used cardboard into the supply chain rather than sending it to landfill. Since launching in November 2025, the scheme has picked up customers across the fast-food and catering equipment sectors, alongside industry recognition from two separate awards bodies. Go-Pak, already named Manufacturer of the Year in this year’s global Food Packaging Awards, is presenting the milestone as evidence that closed-loop recycling models can scale quickly when built into existing supply relationships.

A Closed Loop For Old Cardboard

Go-Recycle was built to help businesses handle their old corrugated cardboard (OCC) responsibly and efficiently, folding recycling into the same relationship customers already have with their packaging supplier. The service is designed to cut waste management costs, strengthen sustainability performance and help organisations keep pace with evolving legislation, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements. By combining packaging supply with waste collection, Go-Recycle turns what has traditionally been a disposal challenge into a valuable resource stream, exporting collected cardboard for recycling and reuse rather than letting it sit as a cost line for customers.

Awards Recognition In Year One

The scheme’s first year has brought industry recognition alongside its tonnage figures. Go-Recycle won the Marketing Campaign Award at the Foodservice Packaging Association Awards and secured silver in the Sustainable Innovation and Investment category at the Packaging News Sustainability Awards 2026, sponsored by ZEISS Group. Coming so soon after launch, the double recognition has added external validation to a scheme that Go-Pak Group is positioning as first-of-its-kind within the packaging sector.

Customers Across The Food Service Sector

Go-Pak Group reports that the scheme’s customer base already spans a wide range of industries, from global fast-food supply chains to award-winning catering equipment suppliers, a breadth the company says reflects how quickly demand for the service has grown.

Tim Allen, operations director at Go-Pak Group, said:

“We’re incredibly proud of the recognition Go-Recycle has received in its first year. The circularity achievements and environmental benefits delivered through the scheme demonstrate our commitment to supporting a more sustainable and circular packaging industry.”

“So far, Go-Recycle has exported more than 16,000 tonnes of OCC on behalf of customers across a wide range of industries. These include global fast-food supply chains serving restaurants and takeaways and award-winning catering equipment suppliers.”

“The breadth of organisations already using the service demonstrates the significant impact Go-Recycle has achieved in such a short space of time.”

Jobs And Wider Supply Chain Benefits

Beyond the environmental figures, Go-Pak Group points to economic outcomes from the scheme’s first year. Go-Recycle has created five local jobs directly and supported additional employment opportunities across partner organisations and the wider supply chain, adding an economic dimension to the environmental case for closed-loop recycling. The company frames this as part of a broader shift in which demand for recycled materials in packaging and non-food cardboard products continues to grow, with schemes such as Go-Recycle expected to play a bigger part in reducing reliance on landfill, improving recycling rates and strengthening supply chain resilience.

Building Toward Net Zero

Go-Pak Group serves clients including Greggs UK, Pret A Manger, Starbucks and Tim Hortons across the food service, cash and carry and retail sectors, and the Go-Recycle results add a tangible circularity milestone to a company that has already been named Manufacturer of the Year. With an ambition to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the 16,000-tonne figure gives Go-Pak Group and SCG Packaging an early, measurable marker of progress, and a model they will likely look to expand as more businesses seek ways to meet sustainability targets without adding cost or complexity to their operations.