The fact-finding investigation resulted in the lowering of 2002 wood recycling figures by 76,400 tonnes and the lowering of 2002 plastics recycling figures by 64,600 tonnes (see letsrecycle.com story). However, the investigation found no activity that warranted a criminal investigation.
The government has said that further investigations will need to be carried out in the plastics packaging waste recovery sector based on results over the past three years.
Following the results of government's investigation, the CPI warned that there are still too many PRNs in the system.
Kathy Bradley, director of external affairs at the CPI, said: “There are too many PRNs in the system at the moment, and as a consequence the price has been driven down and is failing to provide the funds required to improve the UK's recovery performance. This is putting extreme pressure on reprocessors and collectors alike. They need to be assured, above all else, that the system is being administered and audited in a transparent and consistent way.”
Speaking to letsrecycle.com, Ms Bradley said that while the CPI does not have a view how big a problem the inaccuracies in the number of PRNs poses to the industry, the system does need much closer monitoring.
She said: “It hasn't taken the Environment Agency long to find that these figures should be lowered, it just shows how much tighter the monitoring of the system needs to be.”
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