The organisation, which represents the UK’s reprocessing sector, made the comments after publishing the results of a survey, carried on its behalf by market research firm YouGov.
The survey suggests that as many as 68% of adults would support an increase in the price of milk of around 0.1p in order to ensure that bottles contain at least 30% recycled materials. According to the Association, 0.1p is the additional cost per two pint bottle that it is likely to cost for milk bottle producers to switch to recycled polymers.
Additionally, the survey also indicates that 71% of adults would support the government introducing legislation to require manufacturers using a minimum amount of recycled content in products with plastic packaging (37% strongly support, 34% tend to support). Only 6% of adults were opposed.
Concerns
The Association has published the findings a week after crunch talks were held with government on concerns over increased pressure on plastics recyclers over falling oil prices (see letsrecycle.com story).
Some recyclers have claimed that the falling oil price could be leading users of recycled plastic to switch back to virgin polymers as the value of the material falls alongside the cost of oil, and that existing voluntary agreements from retailers and producers are not effective enough to safeguard the future of the recycling industry.
Commenting on the survey, Ray Georgeson, the Association’s chief executive, said: “The great British public ‘gets’ recycling, and is sending a clear signal to industry and retailers alike – they support the UK plastics recycling industry and would support the fractional additional cost of 0.1p on a two pint plastic milk bottle that it will take to sustain reprocessing of recycled plastic milk bottles in the UK. Interestingly, the public also support the idea of legislating to ensure that recycled content is used in plastic packaging.”
Mr Georgeson also echoed his statement last week that manufacturers needed to cement the pledges made under the voluntary Dairy Roadmap and Courtauld Commitment to support the recycling industry.
He added: “The public agrees with many in the industry that 0.1p a bottle is clearly a small price to pay for a sustainable recycling sector. It requires nothing more than those who made this important voluntary commitment – a commitment upon which our reprocessing infrastructure has been built – to fulfil their pledges under the Dairy Roadmap and Courtauld Commitment. They could do it this working day, and stem the growing uncertainty.”
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