The UK's largest compliance scheme is hoping that new targets might mean more packaging waste can be collected from households to make up the shortfall in recovery needed to meet their members' recovery targets under the Packaging Directive.
”Many local authorities are going for the heaviest material. We want a much more sophisticated system. “
– John Gummer, Valpak
A study led by Valpak – the Pack Flow report – suggested that there would be a shortfall in the amount of packaging waste that is recycled by the Directive deadline of 2008 unless more material was collected from households (see letsrecycle.com story).
Problem
The problem for packaging producers is that the recycling of household waste is governed by local authorities, who have targets set by government based on the European Landfill Directive. This prioritises biodegradable materials like paper and green waste and does not require councils to collect any packaging waste at all.
While much of the packaging waste in the commercial and industrial waste stream has already been “tapped up”, growth in recycling needed by packaging producers to meet EU recovery targets set for 2008 mean more packaging must be collected from households.
At its Annual Conference held this week at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull, Valpak told its members it would now be lobbying government to “re-align” local authority targets with the demands of the Packaging Directive.
Incentive
Valpak non-executive chairman John Gummer – the former environment minister who remains MP for Suffolk Coastal, said: “Targets for local authorities is set by weight – there's no real incentive for them to differentiate between packaging waste and non-packaging waste, so many local authorities are going for the heaviest material. We want a much more sophisticated system. If we had that we would be able to increase the availability of the material, but that requires careful negotiation.”
“But, we're facing barriers from small-“c” conservatism in local authorities, who just don't want to go there,” he added.
”Local authorities are very reluctant to accept material specific targets, partly because they perceive those targets as 'producer responsibility' – the clue is in the name.“
– Lee Marshall, LARAC
LARAC
Local authorities continue to object to pressures to set targets that would obligate them to collect packaging waste. Lee Marshall, who chairs the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee, said any move towards council targets based on certain materials would detract from the “producer responsibility” that is central to the European Packaging Directive.
Mr Marshall said: “Local authorities are very reluctant to accept material specific targets, partly because they perceive those targets as 'producer responsibility' – the clue is in the name.”
The LARAC chair also defended councils for prioritising the heavier non-packaging materials for recycling, pointing out that if Valpak or its members had been given the same task as local authorities, they would also collect the easiest, most cost effective material first.
Subscribe for free