The Department has noted that some of the data “is still being scrutinised by the three Agencies, therefore it could be subject to further change in future”.
Although the figures are under scrutiny, Defra has told letsrecycle.com that all 2005 targets have been achieved.
Of the amount of paper packaging in the whole UK waste stream, 74.2% was recycled. For glass, the achievement was 52.5%, for aluminium 28.2%, for steel 51.4% and 54.6% for wood.
Unless the amount of obligated packaging increases significantly in 2006, the new figures suggest that compliance should be achieved in most materials. However, analysts have pointed to the big jump in glass reprocessing targets as an area where difficulties may arise.
Also, there are some questions over the accuracy of plastics packaging waste figures, which may have a baring because reprocessing is not significantly above targets. Defra shows that of the total amount in the UK waste stream, 21.8% was recycled. This stated amount was only just above the 21.4% figure needed to meet the corresponding UK business target for plastics recovery in 2005.
Reprocessing
The new figures from Defra also reveal the amount of 2005 reprocessing that will be used towards this year's producer responsibility obligations. This “carry over” process allows PRNs or PERNs – the evidence used to show producers have paid for the recycling of packaging – to be issued for the 2006 compliance period for reprocessing carried out in December 2005.
The data suggests a substantial amount has been carried over this year – more than 316,000 tonnes of PRNs and PERNs – which will make it a little easier to meet some of the 2006 reprocessing targets.
Of particular note is the 95,000 tonnes of glass PRNs carried over into 2006 – a sign of the strong performance of the glass recycling sector last year. However, with the 55% business target of 2005 moving up to 65% for this year, even with the large carry over amount, compliance on glass is unlikely to be as easy this year as in other materials.
Revenue
Defra has also revealed today how much revenue has been generated by the packaging producer responsibility system through the sale of PRNs and PERNs.
The Department said almost 60 million was generated in revenue from packaging waste recovery notes, the evidence issued by reprocessors located in the UK. Companies exporting packaging for recycling abroad raised just over 47 million through the sale of PERNs, the export equivalent of PRNs.
The value of exports in meeting UK reprocessing targets was particularly highlighted in steel, plastics and increasing the glass sector.
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Of particular note is that steel exports generated more than twice the 9 million revenue from domestic steel reprocessing, with 18.6 million worth of steel PERNs sold in 2005. The export of plastic packaging was also worth more in producer responsibility than domestic reprocessing – 8.8 million in PERNs compared to 6.9 million in PRN revenue.
Glass exports this year generated almost 6 million through PERNs – more than a third of the amount generated by domestic glass PRNs (15.6m).
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