UK set to smash recycling targets for packaging

Issued by the National Packaging Waste Database this week, the figures show reprocessing and export performances for the third quarter of 2007.

They suggest that there could be a surplus of one million tonnes of packaging waste recovery this year, compared to producer responsibility targets that have to be met by the packaging industry.

The situation bodes well for next year's European packaging recovery targets, which the UK must hit to comply with the Packaging Directive.

However, it looks likely to mean low prices for producer responsibility evidence, known as packaging waste recovery notes (PRNs), which would mean less producer investment going into packaging recycling infrastructure.

Paper and wood packaging recycling targets have already been met for this year, but assuming no dramatic halt to present recycling levels occurs, glass, steel and plastic recycling targets are also within easy reach. Even the aluminium recycling target looks likely to be hit.

On present recycling levels, it looks as though the “carry over” of December 2007 PRNs in to 2008 could be double that seen last year. This carry over allows producers to use December PRNs towards the next year's targets.

Commenting on the figures, Angus Macpherson, managing director of the Environment Exchange online PRN market said: “The numbers suggest the targets look in the bag for this year and next year – we're home and dry. Aluminium has had a very good third quarter, the paper sector is breaking all records and glass is romping it this year as well.”

Defra is currently consulting on its intention to raise the targets from 2008 (see letsrecycle.com story), but Mr Macpherson suggested there could be a problem with Defra basing its increased targets on a forecast 1.4% growth in packaging use, when the last few years have seen packaging use growing by more than 2%.

Figures

The third quarter figures for 2007 were as follows, shown in comparison to the same period last year:

Packaging waste recovery Q3 2007	Domestic recycling (t)	Change on '06 (%)	Exports (t)	Change on '06  (%)	Total reprocessing  (t)	Change on '06  (%)
Paper	377,988	+1.3	391,651	+12.1	769,639	+6.5
Glass	319,709	+25.2	72,530	+26.9	392,239	+25.5
Aluminium	6,804	-24.4	5,050	+118.5	11,854	+4.8
Steel	50,878	+1.5	17,456	-62.9	68,334	-29.7
Plastic	40,152	+1.4	77,781	+1.8	117,933	+1.6
Wood	231,918	+7.9	0	0	231,918	+7.9
Total Recycling	1,027,449	+9.0	564,468	+6.0	1,591,917	+7.9
Recovery	120,150	+4.8	0	0	120,150	+4.8
Total Recovery	1,147,599	+8.6	564,468	+6.0	1,712,067	+7.7
Source: letsrecycle.com analysis of figures on National Packaging Waste Database

Materials

Industry has been impressed how quickly the National Packaging Waste Database, run by the Environment Agency, has issued these latest recovery figures for packaging. The proviso to the data is that 25 reprocessors and exporters were still to report their data to the Database this week. When included, these will make the situation even more comfortable with respect to the targets.

Within the figures, the glass sector in particular is shown as having a strong performance in the third quarter of 2007, 25% up compared to Q3 in 2006.

Steel exports have slipped significantly – by 62% compared to the same period last year – but the sector looks on course to hit this year's targets fairly easily nevertheless.

Meanwhile, a 120% increase in aluminium packaging exports in the third quarter of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006 looks to have eased fears that new export controls might hamper target chances (see letsrecycle.com story).

However, a 25% drop in the domestic reprocessing of aluminium packaging waste appears to be continuing a trend – following the 32% drop in the first quarter and 28% drop in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006.

Despite this, thanks to the apparent 5,000 tonnes of aluminium PRNs that were carried forward into 2007 from December 2006, this year's target now looks to be achievable.

Quarter Four

Looking ahead at what is needed in the fourth Quarter of 2007, the figures from the National Packaging Waste Database suggest a comfortable picture:

Reprocessing and Exports in 2007	Carried forward to '07 (t)	Q1 (t)	Q2 (t)	Q3 (t)	Needed in Q4 (t)	2007 Targets (t)
Paper	223,022	744996	736,700	769,639	-106,334	2,368,023
Glass	80,173	358,438	393,498	392,239	199,752	1,424,100
Aluminium	5,015	8,833	9,464	11,854	6,745	41,911
Steel	30,009	97522	82,275	68,334	26,912	305,052
Plastic	18,929	115,419	114,489	117,933	80,720	447,490
Wood	62,728	212,640	235,440	231,918	-534,914	207,812
Total Recycling	419,876	1,537,848	1,571,866	1,591,917	532,962	5,654,469
Recovery	33,212	133,155	126,668	120,150	-413,185	n/a
Total Recovery	453,088	1,671,003	1,698,534	1,712,067	611,470	6,146,162
Source: letsrecycle.com analysis of figures on National Packaging Waste Database

 

Paper and wood have already met their targets, while recovery PRNs are also already in surplus – meaning that these material PRNs are likely to continue to be virtually worthless the rest of this year.

The glass sector needs to achieve only half the amount of recycling it managed in each of the first quarters of the year in the last three months of 2007. However, glass PRNs are likely to be in demand to carry over into 2008, since the sector faces the second steepest rise in targets ahead, after aluminium.

Steel needs only 27,000 tonnes of recycling to hit this year's targets – a third of the total achieved in the third quarter, despite the apparent slump in exports from July to September.

Likewise plastic packaging waste recovery targets look within comfortable reach, even though plastics packaging waste exporters have had similar troubles with “broadly equivalent” export controls as aluminium or steel sectors.

The aluminium sector achieved 8,833 tonnes of recycling and exports in its weakest quarter of 2007 so far – the first quarter – and according to the figures, needs only 6,745 tonnes of reprocessing to hit this year's targets.