News

Packaging giant Tetra Pak plans to reprocess used cartons in the UK by the second half of 2008.

Cartons collected in the UK are currently shipped to Sweden, where they are made into plasterboard liner by building materials supplier Lafarge.

But Tetra Pak UK and Ireland environment manager Richard Hands said this was a "temporary" measure and the company was "working to have reprocessing in the UK" during the second half of next year.

The BRC's proposed information label for recycling, launched on 27 November, currently puts drinks cartons in the bottom – 'Not currently recycled' – category, although this is subject to a review in the coming months.

Tetra Pak is confident, however, that its products will be included in the 'Widely recycled' category by the time the label is introduced, adding that it "makes sense" to have a consistent labelling system.

"The more straightforward the information can be got across to consumers, the better," said Hands.

Hands said the company would continue to roll out carton recovery facilities across the country – almost 75% of local authorities have some method of collection.

Tetra Pak also wants to "increase the depth of the coverage" to make it easier for consumers and, over the next 12 months, will make a "significant shift" towards kerbside collections.

"We're already putting agreements in place with waste management companies [for the kerbside collection of cartons]," said Hands.

London mayor Ken Livingstone yesterday (5 December) threw his weight behind the collection of used Tetra Paks in the capital. He said it was important to "change the way we think about rubbish" and "reduce the amount of packaging we create".

Of the 33 London boroughs, 30 now offer some form of Tetra Pak collection, compared to four last year.

Eight operate kerbside collection in conjunction with recycling firm Grosvenor.