In a consultation published on Friday, Defra proposed to significantly increase the packaging recycling targets for plastics, steel and aluminium and split the target for glass to incentivise closed loop recycling (see letsrecycle.com story).
And, after being welcomed by aluminium recyclers earlier this week (see letsrecycle.com story), the proposals have also received support from plastics recyclers, packaging producers, retailers and trade associations. Glass recyclers said they were also pleased, but are awaiting detail on how the split target would work on the ground before offering their full approval.
Glass
For glass, the government is proposing to split recycling targets by end-use to encourage more to be recycled into glass bottles rather than aggregates because this creates greater carbon savings. Defra is planning to freeze the contribution that glass packaging sent to aggregates can make towards the target at its 2009 level – approximately 650,000 tonnes.
Trade body British Glass has called for split targets for some time, and the organisations head of container affairs Rebecca Cocking praised the governments plans to implement them, but said she would remain cautious until further details as to how the new system will work in practise become available.
She said: We are encouraged that the government has acknowledged the benefits of end uses for glasses. We were aware that something would be put in place, but we dont yet understand how the proposals will work in reality and more detail is required before we can be certain.
For us to meet the targets there needs to be more communication down the waste stream. It needs to be made clear to waste management companies and local authorities how the cap will work in practise for it to be effective. The positive, though, is that it has been acknowledged.
Plastic
On the plastics front, Defra is planning to raise the recycling targets from 32% at present to 57% by 2017. This has met with approval from the plastics recycling sector.
Chris Dow, managing director of London-based plastics reprocessor Closed Loop, said: We applaud the preferred government option of higher statutory targets as a means of maximising the collection of plastics, at last some Green Backbone!
These new targets will focus the national mind on the substantial carbon benefits of domestic plastics recycling – we get to save 1.5 tonnes of carbon for every tonne of plastic recycled as well as create material that can go into packaging again and save our national accounts the burden of importing virgin resin.
Producers
Despite having to pay to meet the new targets, packaging producers also welcomed the proposals which they said would provide a catalyst for further investment in the recycling sector.
In a statement, the British Retail Consortium,which represents theUK retail sector, said: Currently, the key barrier to increasing recycling rates is a shortage of facilities for processing the material. Even if customers, retailers and local authorities collected everything, it couldn’t all be processed.
Increasing targets will send the right message to waste management companies, that we are serious about recycling, and help them expand their capacity. It will also support the business case they have to make to the banks to raise the finance they need to do that.
Coca Cola which producse a significant number of the bottles and cans used in the UK, also expressed enthusiasm for the proposals, citing the increased targets as an opportunity to transform the recycling industry in the UK.
Coca Cola Enterprises recycling director, Patrick McGuirk said: “Coca Cola Enterprises welcomes the government’s announcement of stretching new recycling targets for Great Britain. We wrote to ministers ahead of this announcement requesting this move and are delighted to see government act to push the industry to step-change recycling of materials such as cans and plastic.
We hope the government’s new targets will inspire more positive initiatives from across both public and private sectors to help transform recycling in Great Britain.”
The message was also echoed by packaging association INCPEN director Jane Bickerstaffe who welcomed the gradually increasing targets as a boost for the PRN system.
ESA
Elsewhere, waste management trade associations also welcomed the proposals. Matthew Farrow, director of policy at the Environment Services Association, said that the ESA would be exploring what the impact of the glass target split would be.
He said: We are pleased the government has shown ambition through its preferred option we expect the higher targets will provide good clarity to businesses until 2017 and a stronger framework for investment in collection and recycling infrastructure.
We understand why the government wants to distinguish between glass sent for re-melt and glass recycled into aggregates. We will be speaking to our members so we can advise government on what this would mean in practice.
CIWM chief executive Steve Lee also welcomed the proposals as a means of maintaining momentum for the producer responsibility system.
The consultation is set to run until Friday 10 February 2012 with a final decision on the new targets to be announced in the 2012 Budget.
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