Liz Gyekye / packagingnews.co.UK
Defra proposes tougher UK packaging targets
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman has announced proposals for tougher packaging recycling targets from 2013-2017 in a bid to stop recyclable materials going to landfill.
While the proposals include increases in the material-specific targets for aluminium, steel, plastics as well as a new split target for glass, they include no change in the targets for paper and wood.
According to the government, targets for these materials are being increased as they have the biggest environmental impact in terms of carbon saving through increased recycling, as does the introduction of a specific target for glass going into re-melt applications
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs also said the proposals would stop 400,000 tonnes of packaging going to landfill by 2017, ease the demand on raw natural materials and improve resource efficiency by making more recyclable materials available for businesses.
At present, packaging recycling targets have only been set until 2012 and these have been broadly flat for the past two years. The proposed targets are intended to run from January 1 2013 for five years in order to give greater certainty for planning and investment purposes.
‘Ambitious targets’
Speaking about the consultation, which was launched 16 December, Spelman said: “Christmas is a time when, more than ever, we all notice the amount of packaging that comes with the things we buy. An alarming amount of this is still going to landfill.
“These new, more ambitious targets will deliver real environmental and economic benefits. They will give a new incentive to companies to cut down on excess packaging and increase efforts to have their materials recycled.”
UK targets
The proposed new targets, which cover the whole of the UK, include:
‧Increase the steel recycling target by one percentage point per year, from 71% in 2012 to 76% by 2017;
‧Increase the aluminium recycling target by three percentage points per year, from 40% in 2012 to 55% in 2017;
‧Increase the plastics recycling target by five percentage points per year, from 32% to 57 % by 2017; and
‧Increase the overall packaging recovery rate by one percentage point each year, from 74% in 2012 to 79% in 2017.
The targets were drawn up following recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Packaging and fulfill a commitment in the Waste Review, published in the summer, to consult on increased recycling targets.
Number three
The consultation the new packaging recycling targets proposes three options:
1) Keeping the targets the same.
2) Higher recycling targets for aluminium and plastics (raised by 1% and 2% a year respectively until 2017).
3) Higher recycling targets for aluminium, plastic and steel with glass recycling split by end use (raised by 3%, 5% and 1% a year respectively). This is the government’s preferred option. The option also aligns the government’s position closer to Wales’ and Scotland’s zero waste plans.
Aluminium
For aluminium, the consultation claims the increased targets will be challenging, yet achievable.
It proposes that composite packaging containing aluminium – such Tetra-Pak or tubes of toothpaste from which it is very hard to extract aluminium for recycling – is no longer counted in the overall waste arising figure for aluminium.
This means that the percentage of aluminium packaging which is recycled will go up. The document says that 16-20,000 tonnes of aluminium currently used in composite packaging.
Plastics and steel
Defra said it is keen to increase recycling rates for aluminium and plastics because recycling rates for these materials are the lowest of all packaging materials. It is targeting aluminium, plastics and steel and introducing divided targets for glass because this is where the greatest greenhouse gas savings can be made.
Glass
For glass, the consultation says the aggregates market provides a home for poor quality that would otherwise go to landfill. However, as it achieves no carbon savings, when recycling the material into bottles produces significant savings, the consultation proposes to encourage more glass to go to re-melt applications.
It therefore proposes to set sub-targets for glass by end-use, allowing a decreasing proportion of the overall glass target to be met through evidence derived from aggregates. To do this, it is proposed to freeze the amount that can be achieved through aggregates to its 2009 level – approximately 650,000 tonnes.
Consultation takes a swipe at packaging
Elsewhere, the consultation takes a swipe at packaging. It said: “Survey after survey shows that consumers believe that packaging is a big environmental problem”.
A consultation on the new packaging recycling targets will run for eight weeks, closing on Friday 10 February 2012 with a final decision on the new targets announced in the 2012 Budget.
A new Packaging Directive is expected from 2014.
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