The UK's largest compliance scheme, Valpak, has said that the proposed overall recycling target of 65%, agreed by the European Parliament, will be “very difficult”.
Jeremy Cuthbert, Valpak's press and publicity manager, said: “Valpak believes the recycling target of 65% would be extremely challenging within the 2006 timetable. A maximum 60% figure is more realistic. We have stated vigorously that British industry needs a minimum of three clear years between targets being set by UK government and the date they come into effect.”
The European Parliament accepted the Corbey proposals by 487 votes to 6 with 53 MEPs abstaining. This was only the first reading of the proposal by the Parliament – the amended proposal will now be passed to the Council of Ministers on 17 October 2002, and if agreed would need second and third readings in Parliament before coming into effect.
Since the Parliament vote appears to be so overwhelmingly pro-Corbey, it is thought that if the Council of Ministers agrees with the amended proposals, the second and third readings in Parliament will occur relatively rapidly.
Targets
The amended recycling and recovery targets agreed in the first reading of the Corbey proposal were as follows:
Overall recovery (recycling plus energy recovery): 60% minimum
Overall recycling: 65% minimum
Material specific minimum targets:
The European Parliament did not agree to the Environment Committee's proposal to extend the target deadline to 2008, so the deadline for member states, subject to further revisions, will remain at 31st December 2006 with the exception of Greece, Ireland and Portugal.
Continued on page 2
Register for free to comment