According to the report, the government’s recent move to replace the Consistency in Recycling plan with a Simpler Recycling scheme has caused worries within CPI. While the new scheme aims to streamline recycling processes, CPI claimed the government’s plan fails to address the issue of material quality, which is essential for achieving high recycling standards.
Reform
As part of its efforts to promote sustainability within the paper industry, CPI has called for separate collections for paper and card, which it believes is “crucial” for attracting investment and ensuring recycling rates remain high. CPI added that the implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) remains a challenge, with the scheme expected to cost the packaging value chain over £1.7 billion.
According to the body, the PRN system faces scrutiny amidst impending EPR reforms. CPI supports maintaining a robust PRN system until EPR is fully implemented and continues to advocate for measures that improve system transparency and reduce volatility.
Although paper and board are excluded from the forthcoming deposit return scheme (DRS), the report has said CPI is monitoring its implications. The UK-wide DRS, set for October 2027, will include plastic bottles and aluminium and steel cans but exclude glass. CPI is also concerned that this exclusion will “negatively impact” the quality of paper and card collected for recycling as “valuable materials will be removed from kerbside collections”, increasing the cost burden on remaining recyclables.
End of Waste (EoW) standards are also mentioned by CPI as an issue facing the paper industry. CPI maintains that the EoW for paper and board should occur at the pulping stage, ensuring low contamination levels and turning waste into valuable resources. A position paper published in June reiterates this stance, emphasising the adverse effects of moving the EoW point earlier in the recycling process.
‘Challenging’
Andrew Large, director general of CPI, said: “I am always incredibly proud of the work that the CPI team has undertaken to assist members and to work with all stakeholders to support their operations. The position of the industry continues to be challenging, especially in some sectors, but the contribution of paper and its products to the quality of daily life is better understood than before.”
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