BPF feature on Sky News, Sunday Times, and BBC Radio 5 Live

The BPF have been features across the mainstream media in response to a range of stories on the impact of plastics on the environment. See below for the most recent occasions. 

Sky News

BPF Director General Philip Law interviewed on Sky News’ special about the history of plastics, detailing the beginnings of the plastics industry and a Birmingham inventor called Alexander Parkes. The Sky special outlines briefly the history of plastics as a precursor to exploring the environmental cost.

Watch full video
 

The BPF’s sustainability issues executive Helen Jordan featured on Sky News, a clip aired several times on Monday 6 July, where she spoke briefly about Operation Clean Sweep – the industry’s initiative to combat plastic pellet loss - and mentioned how following important but simple procedures help prevent any plastic loss to the environment. 

Sunday Times

BPF’s Plastics and Flexible Packaging Group Director Barry Turner, was quoted in the Sunday Times, feature available here (you may have to sign up to read the full article).

The full quote provided to the Sunday Times is shown below. 

“Black plastics trays are widely used and are the preferred choice by retailers for many reasons.  These include their unique properties and the fact that they are highly convenient for end users as they can be used to heat food in both ovens and microwaves.

In addition, these trays typically contain over 50% recycled content (with some manufacturers reaching over 95%) which makes them highly resource efficient whilst providing an important end market for coloured recycled PET bottles.  

There are technical solutions, such as the use of markers, that allows black PET to be recognised by optical sorters. The main barrier to these being adopted at the moment is a commercial one and that is something that is being explored at the present time.  If black trays can be successfully separated from other waste, they can be recycled. 

The Plastics Industry Recycling Action Plan (PIRAP), is being implemented by the BPF and PlasticsEurope*, and is an industry led programme to increase plastic packaging recycling. They are currently exploring a range of barriers that prevent plastic packaging from being recycled and are looking at opportunities to overcome them.”  

BBC Radio 5 Live

Plastics and Flexible Packaging Group Directory Barry Turner appeared on BBC’s Radio 5 Live Saturday 4 February at 8.45am to explain some issues surrounding the sustainability and importance of plastic packaging, and the issues facing ensuring the maximum amount of plastics recycling is achieved.