Valpak highlights importance of increasing glass collections

And, he outlined his ambitions to expand the UK's largest packaging waste compliance scheme into the waste electronics arena.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with letsrecycle.com, published today (see letsrecycle.com feature), Mr Gough said a huge increase in glass packaging recycling is needed in the UK to reach the next European Directive targets.

Provisional figures from DEFRA suggest that a growth in glass reprocessing of about 125,000 tonnes will needed every year to reach the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive target of 60% recycling by 2008.

As well as more collections of glass, some increase in reprocessing capacity will be needed in future years, and Mr Gough warned that more needs to be done to find markets for green glass.

“To start with, it is collections that need to increase. We have had long hard discussions with the glass industry about this. It seems clear there will become an excess of certain colours of glass and there will be a potential end market problem.”

Discussing the state of the packaging waste recovery note (PRN) market, the Valpak chief executive said he anticipated that materials PRN prices would most likely rise slightly through the year, with some divergence between the materials.

WEEE
Mr Gough also spoke about Valpak's plans to assist members with their compliance needs under forthcoming waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) producer responsibility regulations.

Mr Gough told letsrecycle.com: “The way we see diversification is: do we have the backing of the members? With something like WEEE we do.”

Valpak's response to the DTI's WEEE consultation, submitted this week, said that it was in “broad agreement” with the government's preferred options, stating that the setting up of a national &#39c;learing house' to administer fair distribution of treatment obligations is “essential”. In organising a retailer's compliance scheme, Valpak said there should be no cap on obligation costs, but market forces should be allowed to bring a “downward pressure” on these costs.

Valpak is hoping to work with the British Retail Consortium on a retailers' compliance scheme, and in its submission to government, said that such a scheme should see local authorities bidding for funding to supply collection facilities, in competition with other potential suppliers of collection points.

For the full interview with Steve Gough, chief executive of Valpak, click here.