Government confident plastics targets can be met

The government is confident that plastic packaging recycling targets can be met, despite concerns from within the industry that the recycling levels set by the government are unachievable.

The comments came from Defra minister Richard Benyon, who, in response to written questions from Labour MP for Workington Sir Tony Cunningham about plastics recycling, said recycling from the commercial and industrial sectors could provide the key to meeting the obligations.

However, Mr Benyon conceded that the proportion of rigid mixed plastic pots, tubs and trays collected for recycling would have to more than double, if the targets were to be reached.

In December 2011 the government confirmed that plastics packaging recycling targets would rise from 32% at present to 57% by 2017.

Plastics recyclers have speculated that the UK may not equipped to meet the targets, including Stuart Foster of plastic recycling association Recoup who, speaking at the RWM exhibition in Birmingham last week, said the UK was not ready to take up the challenge (see letsrecycle.com story).

In his written response to Sir Cunningham, who asked whether the government would consider changing the obligations for plastic packaging producers if sufficient levels of material could be collected, Mr Benyon said: We are confident that the new targets can be achieved and will continue to monitor progress.

Collection

In a further question to the minister the MP asked what plans Defra had put in place to ensure that councils are collecting enough material over the next five years. In response, Mr Benyon said that the onus was on packaging producers to ensure that enough material is collected, adding that the commercial and industrial sectors were likely to contribute a large amount of material that would allow targets to be met.

He said: The impact assessment which accompanied the consultation on recovery and recycling targets for packaging waste for 2013-17 estimated that an additional 550kt of plastic will need to be collected and recycled by 2017 to meet the new targets. This material can be sourced from the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors.

There are no targets on local authorities for the collection of packaging waste. It is for producers to make suitable arrangements, working with waste collectors, to ensure that sufficient material is collected and recycled for them to meet their obligations.

Mr Benyon acknowledged that the amount of rigid mixed plastic waste collected would need to increase significantly if the targets are to be met, adding: Based on the analysis used to underpin the new targets, it was calculated that the recycling of mixed rigid plastics would need to increase from around the current rate of 13% to 28% in 2017.