Author information: Joy Blizzard is a waste initiatives officer at Shropshire county council as well as a nationally elected representative of a leading local authority organisation promoting waste reduction in the UK – the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC). Through her work as communications officer at LARAC she has become a regular on radio and television, pushing the recycling message to the public. Ms Blizzard explains why local authorities are doing their bit and why retailers should start being more proactive
Local authorities should get their act together. We have just been told by Sir Stuart Rose of Marks and Spencer that if we did, 90% of their packaging could be recycled.
I emphasise the words THEIR packaging. Whilst we are about it, perhaps councils could put in a bespoke recycling scheme for all the major retailers and THEIR packaging.
They could all continue to makes lots of money out of selling all that posh, yummy food, safe in the comfortable green knowledge that the Muppet-like local authority will continue to pick up the waste, and the bill for its recycling or disposal. The last time local authorities got a handbagging from someone from a grocer's shop was when Mrs Thatcher was in power.
Despite the jokes and delays, the WEEE directive seems to have been implemented relatively well with local authorities assisting the obligated producers to meet their targets but without footing the bill.
Likewise, the implementation of carton recycling across the country by tetrapack and others has been welcomed by local authorities, who again can assist without paying for the service. Producer responsibility – they clue is in the title.
Unfortunately real producer responsibility for retail packaging still seems to be far from being a reality, let alone an understood concept by those that produce it. Here's a radical suggestion – why not put your items in packaging that can easily be recycled? I suppose the simple concept of clearing up after one's own mess is just too much for some.
A quick lunchtime trip round M&S found a large banner proclaiming that M&S believe in “sustainable fishing – hook, line and sinker”. Shame really that the Lightly Dusted Scottish Salmon Fillets (does that mean they have been gathering dust or have a special coating?) were rattling round in a plastic box with a film lid and card sleeve.
The organic chocolate Timmy Tractor was packaged in rigid plastic – you know the kind that can cut your fingers. How Sir Stuart, do you think that we could put in a simple, source separated kerbside collection for these different items whilst at the same time meeting Gershon efficiency savings? Perhaps the question should be “why” rather than “how?”
Is the recycling of complex composite packaging that really what councils should be spending their money on? Shouldn't we be concentrating on ensuring that old folk get the care they need to get washed, dressed, fed and supported to live in their own homes?
The public sector so often exists to fill in the gaps left by the failure of the free market economy Expecting councils to pay for a packaging problem they did not create is just another example of failed policies, and sloppy thinking.
This isn't just nonsense, its M&S nonsense. They keep telling us that there is no Plan B. Perhaps there should be.
