And, following consultation, packaging producers will be required to use the lightest possible packaging for their products.
 The UK is doing relatively well in meeting its packaging recycling targets, and the government believes higher targets are now needed |
The waste strategy also suggests that a “centre of expertise” is to be set up in an attempt to protect the UK from the risks inherent in relying on the export market to meet its recycling targets.
Recycling targets
The strategy says targets as set by Europe's Packaging Directive for the year 2008 were now “expected to be achieved” – the UK is now recycling 56% of its packaging waste overall, compared to a 55% overall target for 2008.
Nevertheless, nearly five million tonnes of packaging waste still escape recycling each year.
While the European Commission has suggested freezing packaging recovery targets beyond 2008 to allow other EU countries to catch up (see letsrecycle.com story), Defra has decided that the UK should have higher packaging waste recycling targets.
This would continue to divert more waste from landfill – and continue to combat climate change – as well keeping the investment flowing from producers via the PRN system, which requires annual increases in recycling targets.
Speaking in the House of Commons, environment secretary David Miliband said: “We need further to increase the rate of recycling of waste packaging. Subject to analysis, the government will propose higher recycling targets for the period beyond 2008.”
The environment secretary has also written to the European Commission calling for a rethink on the freezing of the Packaging Directive targets.
Packaging sector experts believe a consultation on new recovery and recycling targets is likely to come at some point this summer.
The English waste strategy also notes the protocol being developed between packaging producers and local authority chief executives to strengthen household packaging waste collections (see letsrecycle.com story).
Exports
Recognising that much of the UK's recycling targets rely on exporting material abroad for reprocessing, the government is to ask WRAP to create a “centre of expertise” on export markets for recycled materials.
The waste strategy explains: “This will allow business and policy decisions to be made on the basis of much better information, and risks to UK recycling levels to be better managed and the promotion of compliance with the controls that apply to the export of waste.”
– David Miliband
Lightweight
As well as higher targets, the government is planning to amend the packaging producer responsibility to require products to be packaged using the “best in class” lightweighting standards.
This means that although manufacturers won't be forced to use light materials like plastics instead of heavier glass, they would have to use the lightest possible glass bottles if opting for that kind of packaging.
Mr Miliband told MPs yesterday: “In consultation with industry, we will seek further to minimise the amount of packaging used; for example, by setting optimal packaging standards for certain products, so that producers will be expected to use the lightest weight packaging wherever possible.”
Under the Courtauld Commitment, a group of supermarkets and food/drinks manufacturers has already agreed to work to design out packaging waste growth by 2008 and deliver absolute reductions in packaging waste by 2010 (see letsrecycle.com story).
WRAP – the Waste and Resources Action Programme – is to help them deliver these targets, itself being set the target to secure an 80,000 tonnes reduction in packaging waste every year, totalling 340,000 by 2010. The government said in its strategy that it would seek to extend the agreement to non-food retailers.
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Excess packaging
With recent criticism from trading standards that little is being done to tackle excess packaging (see letsrecycle.com story), the government said it would also be writing to the European Commission to tighten rules on producers using too much packaging material.
Mr Miliband said: “I am writing today to Commissioner Dimas urging the European Commission to review the provisions of the EU packaging directive so that member states’ authorities can take more effective enforcement action against clear cases of excessive packaging.”
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