Resource Association praises Defra target ambition

The Minister met with representatives from the Association at Aylesford Newsprints mill in Kent on Wednesday (November 28), less than 24 hours after the new packaging recycling targets were steered through Parliament by Defra (see letsrecycle.com story).

Plans to raise the recycling target for plastic packaging from its current level of 32%, to 57% by 2017 which have been criticised as unrealistic by some in the packaging sector, were singled out for praise by the trade body, which said the target would drive the industry towards a step change in packaging recycling.

During Wednesdays meeting, Lord de Mauley was given a demonstration of the paper recovery process as well as hearing concerns from the Resource Association on the regulation of MRF output through the proposed MRF Code of Practice and the impact of poor quality feedstock availability on the manufacturing industry.

Quality

The Association, which is campaigning for an improvement in material quality from household recycling collections, also raised concerns about the quality of recovered material currently being produced in the UK.

Resource Association chief executive Ray Georgeson, said: We were delighted to host Lord de Mauley on his first visit to a UK paper reprocessor and took the opportunity to congratulate the government on the successful piloting of the new packaging recycling targets through Parliament.

The ambition the government has stated, especially on plastics packaging, is to be commended strong and ambitious targets are needed to drive the industry to another step change in the recovery and reprocessing of packaging materials.

Delivery of a robust MRF Code of Practice, proper enforcement of TFS Regulations and reform of the PRN/PERN system to support the UK green economy is also needed and we look forward to Lord de Mauleys interventions in these arenas as he moves from listening mode to action within his Ministerial brief.

The Resource Association was set up in November 2011, with the aim of giving a voice to members of the reprocessing and recycling industry. It was formed by a group of organisations from across the reprocessing sector, including Scottish recycling charity Alloa Community Enterprises, packaging producer Huhtamaki (UK) Ltd, May Gurney Ltd and Somerset Waste Partnership.