Packaging plays an important role in protecting, promoting and identifying products. In terms of its use in the construction process, most products used on sites are delivered wrapped in, placed on or held together by packaging of some kind; but little is known about the amount, type, safety and hygiene qualities of packaging material being disposed of from sites. Previous BRE studies have shown that packaging materials can constitute as much as 50% of the volume of waste leaving a construction site. Traditionally the cost for disposal of this material has been borne by the main contractor and the costs of packaging disposal are 'lost' when the waste is removed from site in mixed skips. This paper represents the initial results of the first study in the UK to show what packaging materials are available for recovery, reuse and recycling within the construction industry. 8 pages.