While the Renewable Content Obligation Bill is not expected to become law – due to it being a 10 minute Rule Bill – the move is intended to flag recycling up on the political agenda, after overseas markets for recyclable materials dried up in late 2008.
I believe that a Renewable Content Obligation could be an extremely significant means of bringing the use of recycled materials into the mainstream in UK manufacture
Dr Alan Whitehead MP
The Bill was introduced to the House on Wednesday (February 25) and proposes that UK manufacturers should be legally required to use a minimum level of recyclate in the production of certain high-volume goods – such as glass bottles, construction materials, products containing PET plastic such as traffic cones and cardboard boxes.
Presenting the bill to the House of Commons, Dr Whitehead, who represents Southampton Test and is also co-chair of the Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group, commented on the “enormous opportunities” for using recyclates in products “usually at or near the cost” of using virgin raw materials.
While stressing that “the Bill does not seek to address failure, or a crisis. It seeks to secure the future for successful recycling in the UK,” he told the House that the measure would help to address any loss of export markets as the amount of recyclate being produced continued to increase.
“My 10 Minute Bill, which should perhaps be more exactly and accurately entitled the Recyclate Content Bill, would provide a way to face up to this future and emerging problem for our waste with confidence and with secure markets, primarily here in this country, for the results of our efforts to recover and reuse our waste streams,” he said.
“It would enable the Government to specify levels of recyclate to be included in the production of designated products on sale in the UK. In short, where a product or a range of products was designated by the mechanisms contained in the Bill, it would be required, as a condition of sale, to have the right amount of recycled content within it,” he added.
A UK precedent for legislation of the type contained in the Bill has been set by the renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO), which requires UK fuel producers to include a certain percentage of renewable content in their fuel.
Support
Since its introduction, the Renewable Content Obligation Bill has already gained support from 12 other MPs, including the chairman of the energy and climate change select committee, Elliot Morley.
It is thought unlikely that the Bill will receive a second reading, but the issue could be debated in Parliament, and Mr Whitehead's speech was thought to be well-received by waste and recycling minister Jane Kennedy, who was in the chamber at the time.
Speaking after he had presented the Bill, Dr Whitehead said: “I am extremely pleased to have secured this 10 Minute Rule Bill and I am grateful for the level of support it has received from my fellow members.
“I believe that a Renewable Content Obligation could be an extremely significant means of bringing the use of recycled materials into the mainstream in UK manufacture.”
He added: “By implementing a Renewable Content Obligation across a wide range of products we can save the British manufacturing industries' money, create secure markets for our recycled materials and reduce carbon emissions from production in one fell swoop.”
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