The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015

Regulation 9

SCHEDULE 4 Further provisions about the packaging of hand rolling tobacco

Surfaces

1.—(1) Any surface of the external or internal packaging of a unit packet or container packet of hand rolling tobacco—

(a) must be smooth and, in the case of a unit packet or container packet which is cuboid in shape, flat, and

(b) must contain no ridges, embossing or other irregularities of shape or texture.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) does not prohibit the inclusion—

(a) in the case of a unit packet of hand rolling tobacco in the form of a pouch, of any feature which occurs as a necessary part of the process of sealing the pouch during its manufacture, or

(b) in the case of a unit packet or container packet of hand rolling tobacco which is cylindrical in shape, of any feature which is necessary to affix the bottom of the cylinder or to enable the lid of the cylinder to be opened and closed.

(3) Sub-paragraph (1) is subject to—

(a) paragraph 3(3), and

(b) any provision to the contrary made by any enactment (whenever passed or made) other than these Regulations.

Inserts etc

2.—(1) No insert or additional material may be attached to or included with the packaging of a unit packet or container packet of hand rolling tobacco.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) does not prohibit the inclusion in a unit packet or container packet of hand rolling tobacco of—

(a) cigarette papers, or

(b) filters,

provided they are not visible before the packet is opened.

(3) Sub-paragraph (1) does not prohibit a barcode in relation to which each of the conditions in paragraph 5(2) of Schedule 3 is met from taking the form of an adhesive label.

Tab and seal

3.—(1) If a unit packet of hand rolling tobacco has a tab for resealing the packet, the tab must be clear and transparent and not coloured or marked.

(2) If a unit packet of hand rolling tobacco which is cylindrical in shape contains a foil seal as part of its internal packaging, the foil seal must be silver coloured with no variation in tone or shade.

(3) Paragraph 1 does not prohibit such a foil seal from being textured over any entire surface with small dots or squares embossed on the seal if the dots or squares —

(a) are equidistant from each other,

(b) are of uniform size, and

(c) do not form a picture, pattern, image or symbol that is recognisable as anything other than a foil seal.

Wrappers

4.—(1) Each of the following, namely—

(a) a unit packet of hand rolling tobacco,

(b) an aggregation of such unit packets which is not contained in a container packet, and

(c) a container packet of such tobacco,

may be enclosed by a wrapper but only if each of the following conditions is met.

(2) Those conditions are—

(a) that the wrapper is clear and transparent,

(b) that the wrapper is not coloured or marked,

(c) that any surface of the wrapper—

(i) is smooth and, in the case of a unit packet or container packet which is cuboid in shape, flat, and

(ii) does not contain any ridge, embossing or other irregularity of shape or texture that is not a necessary result of the packaging process, and

(d) that there is nothing attached to the wrapper,

but this is subject to the following provisions.

(3) A wrapper which encloses an aggregation of unit packets within sub-paragraph (1)(b) may have solid, black rectangles or squares but only so far as they are necessary, and of a minimum size necessary, to cover any barcode on the unit packets enclosed within the wrapper.

(4) A wrapper may have a tear tape if each of the conditions in sub-paragraph (5) is met.

(5) Those conditions are—

(a) that the tear tape is either—

(i) clear and transparent and not coloured or marked, or

(ii) black in colour,

(b) that the tear tape forms a continuous straight line which is of a constant width not exceeding 3 millimetres, and

(c) that the tear tape is parallel to any straight edge of the packet enclosed by the wrapper.

(6) Sub-paragraph (5)(a)(i) does not prohibit the tear tape from including a single, solid black line which—

(a) is not more than 15 millimetres long, and

(b) indicates where the tear strip begins.

(7) A wrapper may have a barcode (and that barcode may take the form of an adhesive label) but only if each of the following conditions is met.

(8) Those conditions are—

(a) that the sole purpose of the barcode is to facilitate the sale, distribution and stock control of the tobacco product,

(b) that the colour of the barcode is either—

(i) black and white, or

(ii) Pantone 448 C and white,

(c) that the barcode does not form a picture, pattern, image or symbol that is recognisable as anything other than a barcode,

(d) that the barcode appears only once, and

(e) that the barcode does not appear on that part of the wrapper which covers the front of the unit packet, aggregation of unit packets or container packet.