Environment minister Elliot Morley called for the investigation earlier this year because of concerns in the sudden increase in the amount of plastic PRNs issued by plastics reprocessors in 2002 and 2003. The figures appeared to show a jump in the amount of plastics packaging recycling in the UK from 16% to 22% in just one year.
Speaking at the Annual general Meeting of plastic bottle recycling organisation Recoup earlier this week, Mr Morley said: “I would be delighted if our plastic packaging waste recycling was over 22% in 2002 and 2003 but I am advised that there is likely to be a degree of exaggeration in this.”
“The current plastic fact-finding mission will report next month when we will also receive a report on the outcome of ongoing Environment Agency work,” he said.
Mr Morley revealed he was “extremely disappointed” that Defra has had to investigate the allegations into the activity, which he said “may represent a short-term financial gain to some, but helps no one in the long run”.
The environment minister went on to say that the government would “not tolerate this kind of inappropriate and possibly fraudulent activity”.
Wood
The fact-finding mission into the plastics packaging sector has followed similar moves to root out possible fraudulent PRN issuing in the wood packaging waste sector last year.
The investigation found that assumptions were being made regarding the tonnages of packaging waste in mixed loads – PRNs can only be issued against wood packaging waste, not any other kind of waste wood. These assumptions were “unrealistic or were made on the basis of insufficient evidence”, leading to an over-stating of the amount of wood packaging waste that was recycled in 2002.
The wood investigation has led to the wood recycling sector developing a voluntary protocol with the assistance of WRAP – the Waste and Resources Action Programme – to improve the audit trail of packaging reprocessing.
Mr Morley said: “All stages in the wood reprocessing chain are expected to endorse this system, which should ensure that PRNs are only issued for packaging waste. I like this approach and am keen to see other packaging sectors following suit.”
For more on PRNs and how the packaging waste recovery system operates in the UK, see the letsrecycle.com legislation section.
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