THE Recycling Association has urged greater funding of recycling by packaging retailers and manufacturers following publication of a new report by the National Audit Office (NAO).
The report, The Packaging Recycling Obligations, found that the Government has no evidence that the system has encouraged companies to minimise packaging or make it easy to recycle.
Now, the Recycling Association says it believes increasing the funding for recycling by producers could lead to “more and better quality” recycling.
Recycling Association chief executive Simon Ellin explained, “This report from the National Audit Office highlights the need for those who produce packaging to do more to fund its recycling. At the moment, approximately 10% of the cost of recycling is funded by retailers and manufacturers via the PRN system. But we would like to see this increase to at least 80% and probably 90%.
“That would give the retailers and manufacturers a proper incentive to create packaging that is easy to recycle while also providing greater investment for UK recycling infrastructure. It would also lead to better quality of recycled material so that it can more easily be remanufactured into a new product. Defra plans to introduce a new Resources & Waste Strategy later this year and we hope that the cost of recycling will be included in this through more Extended Producer Responsibility.”
The report also highlighted how the Government has no way of knowing whether exported material is recycled.
Simon Ellin added, “Almost all of the material that our members export is recycled. There is an international market for materials, often returning it to the place of manufacture to be turned into a new product. This paper, plastic and metal is paid for by buyers as a raw material to be recycled, more often-than-not, in state-of-the-art recycling facilities.
“But the report is right to highlight those rogue operators who ship material that cannot be recycled in the hope of making a quick buck. The report highlights the need for more regulations to crack down on those who export illegal material, as well as the need for improved funding for the environment agencies in the UK to ensure they are better able to catch these criminals.
“We export material as part of a global market, and it is vital that we send a high-quality commodity to these countries. Improved regulation will allow us to do this.”
A Plastic Planet co-founder Sian Sutherland said the report had shed new light on the “ludicrous mess” we’ve got ourselves into with recycling. She added, “Once touted as the answer to all our waste woes, Britain’s recycling system is now proven to be completely inadequate. The Government needs to show leadership and commit to building one that is fit for purpose, one that invests in food waste collection and proper industrial composting as well as better plastic recovery. We are in danger of the public losing faith in the results of their recycling efforts at home and who can blame them?”
