However, there remains some scepticism among the agricultural and packaging sectors over whether the government will manage to keep to its proposed timetable following a series of delays to the scheme.
This comes four years after research was first commissioned into the feasibility of introducing a producer responsibility scheme in the UK that would encourage the collection and recovery of the 85,000 tonnes of waste plastics arising each year on UK farms – and a year after the scheme was originally set to be in place (see letsrecycle.com story).
Writing in the report, Defra explained that “progress on the development of a statutory scheme for non-packaging farm plastics producer responsibility scheme for non-packaging agricultural waste plastic (NPAWP) has continued.”
It added: “Defra plan to consult on draft regulations in October 2009, which would require manufacturers and exporters of NPAWP to contribute financially to the collection (through a series of hubs) and treatment/recycling of the material.”
Scheme
John Turner, chair of the Advisory Committee on Farm Plastics – an industry body which has advised the government on how to develop the draft regulations – told letsrecycle.com that the consultation document was currently with ministers and that the industry was keen to see the regulations introduced. This is because there is currently no cost-effective way for farmers to dispose of farm films – especially as much was contaminated by slurries and other farm waste and therefore was low-value.
He said: “The NFU (National Farmers' Union) have been involved in this from the very beginning and the last time they tried to set up a scheme some years ago it collapsed because the arrangement was breached and there were no regulations behind it. Everybody has agreed that there needs to be legislation.”
Mr Turner added that the Advisory Committee on Farm Plastics intended to meet in early November to discuss the progress of the measures.
Delays
However, some industry experts, with knowledge of the packaging and farming sectors, claimed that they was unsure whether Defra would actually produce the document by the end of October or if it would be subject to yet more delays.
One commentator said: “Defra are committed to going to consultation. But it has all gone quiet on their side of things and to a certain extent it is all quite similar to the times before when it was delayed.”
The proposed farm films scheme will be different from other producer responsibility regulations, such as that in place for WEEE, as it is not drawn from European legislation with prescribed recycling targets.
It is instead intended to help farmers dispose of non-packaging plastic waste – such as silage wrap and sheeting, polytunnel and crop film, string and netting – in the wake of the Agricultural Waste Regulations 2006, which made it illegal to burn or bury waste plastics on farm land.
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