The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs released its consultation paper on 2002 packaging waste recovery targets, earlier this week. But the consultation paper was not published on DEFRA's web site as expected as some of DEFRA's employees have gone on strike over pay.
Compliance schemes are expected to look at the consultation paper in detail over the next few weeks, which suggests a 61% recovery figure with a choice of material specific recycling target figures of 18% or 20% for 2002. DEFRA has not yet revealed what the target is based on.
DEFRA said that recycling of packaging waste must increase if the UK is to achieve waste strategy targets. And the 61% has been seen in light of concerns that while compliance schemes will meet their own targets, the UK might miss its targets for 2001.
Although some industry sources said that the there were no surprises in the consultation paper with packaging targets expected to increase, the general view is that the 61% will pose a challenge.
Balance
Phil Conran, of Biffpack, said that while there was a need to raise targets care had taken to ensure that they were balanced and realistic. “There is clearly a need to raise the targets next year to maintain the pressure on industry in the light of the expected EC Target review for 2006.
“However, these need to be balanced and realistic and if the reported data for 2001 rises significantly above 7.7 million tonnes, we would be extremely concerned that the 61% target suggested could add up to 500,000 tonnes of extra PRN demand that will be unrealistic and will simply lead to non compliance and unreasonably high cost in 2002.”
Compliance scheme Valpak also echoed this view with spokeswoman Emma Stewart saying that the 61% was “challenging”.
Mike Beard, of Wastepack, expressed concern over the UK not meeting 2001 requirements and said that they were “currently studying the consultation paper and will respond in detail in due course”.
But added: “We are surprised at the discrepancy between the latest forecast of the 2001 obligation and that previously provided by the department and included in the Minister’s statement to parliament on this subject. Many business plans will have been based on the department’s original forecast and this new information causes concern about how the UK can meet the requirements of the directive.”
While Mike Scollick, of Cleanapack, said that the 61% was “fairly predictable”. He added: “It will not have a huge impact, depending on the availability of PRNs, but they are a bit of an unknown quantity for next year as the government is concerned that this year's targets will not be met never mind next year's.”
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