Plastic packaging bodies slam ‘unachievable’ recycling targets

Defra and the UK’s devolved governments have today launched a consultation document on proposed increases to UK packaging recovery rates for the next decade.

The ‘Consultation on Implementing the Packaging Strategy’ sets out two options: continue to roll forward the current recycling rates or, the government’s preferred option, target a 70% packaging recycling rate by 2020.

But the British Plastics Federation has said the 56.9% plastic packaging target was “not achievable” even with the “necessary huge investment in the recycling infrastructure and standardised local authority collection, sorting and recycling schemes that we do not have”.

In a statement, the BPF said: “We fully support the government’s wish to direct waste from landfill and increase recycling. Used plastics are a valuable resource and should be recycled, but where this is not to environmental or economic advantage then it should be used as a fuel in energy-from-waste combustion to provide much-needed heat and energy.”

The view was echoed by Jan-Erik Johansson on behalf of the Plastics 2020 Challenge that has set its own targets for plastics packaging recovery.

He called on the government to recognise trends from across Europe before setting a target well beyond what is being achieved today.

“Targets on plastics packaging recycling should be ambitious but also realistic and achievable. If we get this wrong, it risks undermining all the great collaborative work that has been done to drive up the rates of recycling in this country,” he said.

Glass targets
The proposals also consider splitting the glass target, according to whether cullet is turned back into containers or, for example is used for aggregates to improve the environmental outcome.

British Glass recycling manager Rebecca Cocking said the 69% glass targets were “reasonable and achievable” but would depend on what’s happening in terms of collections and the quality of the material that is collected.

“We are encouraged by the fact that the consultation recognises the need to get the material back into remelt, but there are questions over whether the necessary changes can be made to collection systems,” she said.

PRN revenues
The proposals also look at improving the transparency of producer funding and PRN revenues and the technical changes that need to be made to deliver on the strategy.

Ian Atkinson of Defra’s producer responsibility unit said in the consultation document: “The key aim identified in the strategy was to minimise the environmental impact of packaging over its whole life cycle, without compromising its ability to protect the product.

“The can be achieved through optimising packaging and through maximising the recycling of packaging waste,” he said.

The consultation closes on 27 May and the full consultation document can be viewed by clicking here to visit the Defra website.

PACKAGING RECYCLING CONSULTATION

Desired achievement rate/Proposed business target for 2020

Total packaging recycling 71.9%/77.3%

Aluminium 69.6%/70%
Glass 69%/90%
Paper 86.2%/90%
Plastic 56.9%/75%
Steel 74.8%/94%
Wood 70.6%/74%

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