BPF Committed to Doubling Plastics Packaging Recycling but Government Targets 'Not Achievable'

The British Plastics Federation has made the following statement in response to the Government's Consultation paper 'Implementing the Packaging Strategy' proposing a target of 56.9% plastic packaging recycling by 2020.

"We shall seek the views of our members and respond to the consultation. We feel the target, a massive increase of 32%, is not achievable in under ten years. This would not be possible, even if there was a necessary huge investment in the recycling infrastructure and standardised local authority collection, sorting and recycling systems which we do not have.

Such a high target risks pushing the UK into recycling which is uneconomic and has environmental disbenefits through heavy use of energy and water.  Germany has had an active plastics recycling scheme for 15 years and has only achieved a 42% recycling rate.

We fully support the Government's wish to direct waste from landfill and increase recycling.  Used plastics are a valuable resource and should be recycled but where this is not to environmental advantage or economic then it should be used as a fuel in energy from waste combustion to provide much needed local heat and energy.

Both the main political parties will not give firm directions to local authorities on what they should collect, sort and recycle, resulting in an uncoordinated patchwork of plastics collection which does not achieve its full potential.

Substantial new investment would be needed for recycling, particularly of mixed plastics and action needed to tackle the poor quality of much recyclate, and try and find new markets for it."

The 'Plastics 2020 Challenge' aims to divert plastics from landfill and double to 50% plastics packaging recycling by 2020.

The 2020 Challenge led by the BPF, PAFA and Plastics Europe wrote to DEFRA Secretary of State Hilary Benn MP on 15th January 2010.  We pointed out that far too many Councils still don't offer Kerbside plastic bottle recycling.  Mr Benn's own constituency area of West Yorkshire authorities recycled over 7,000 tonnes of plastic bottles in 2008 compared to only 1,750 tonnes in South Yorkshire authorities.

The BPF hopes that responses to the consultation will revise the target to 50% plastics recycling which although a major challenge is achievable and based on sound science.

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