Metal Recycling will Benefit from Packaging Waste Regulation Change

Metal packaging rates have been lower than other materials partly because of the difficulty in proving that reprocessing was carried out at a 'broadly equivalent' standard as in the UK.

15/07/08 An amendment to the Producer Responsibility (Packaging Waste) Regulations will help improve the UK's metal packaging recycling rate by giving the Environment Agency (EA) greater flexibility to access overseas reprocessing.

Metal packaging rates have been lower than other materials partly because of the difficulty in proving that reprocessing was carried out at a 'broadly equivalent' standard as in the UK.

Environment minister Lord Rooker said the changes to the regulations would "remove an administration burden" from exporters of metal packaging waste and give the EA "more discretion in assessing what sound evidence of 'broadly equivalent' would mean".

Nick Mullen, director of the Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association, said the change "went some way to resolving the problem".

Aluminium recycling body Alupro said it was "very pleased" about the changes which could help to recover some of the estimated 5,000 tonnes of waste aluminium that was "lost" last year.

Responding to concerns that the changes were "cutting corners" to improve recycling rates and could invite illegal activity, Rooker said: "We are not shifting the goal posts, we are bringing the rules more into line with the original intentions of the regulations. The stuff [metal packaging] is being exported, but we want it to count towards our targets."

Aluminium prices reached a record high yesterday (9 July) after China's top producers announced supply cuts to reduce power consumption. The price for aluminium for delivery in three months rose 6% in a day to reach $3,380 (£1,700) per tonne.