BPF Responds to Announcement of Government Consultation into Mass Balance

In response to the government announcement on 27/04/2023, the British Plastics Federation has issued the following statement:

The British Plastics Federation (BPF) is pleased to see the government announce that it will be launching a consultation on allowing mass balance to be a method for calculating recycled content within the Plastic Packaging Tax. However, we are calling on the government to release this consultation imminently. Mass balance methodology is the only chain of custody method that will enable the chemical recycling industry to grow, which will in turn maximise the amount of plastic the UK is able to recycle. The lack of clarity to date has prevented companies from investing in the UK and some have looked elsewhere to build facilities.

To increase the UK’s recycling rate, reduce the country’s reliance on exporting waste and to achieve net zero carbon by 2050, it is vital that there is significant investment in recycling infrastructure. The BPF sees chemical recycling as a complementary technology to mechanical recycling and investment is needed in both sectors. Chemical recycling technologies offer an opportunity for materials that are harder to recycle to be diverted from landfill or energy from waste facilities and to become a valuable resource within the circular economy. Confirming that a mass balance approach is permissible within the UK as soon as possible is vital if recycling in the UK is to reach its potential.