UK firms fail to meet packaging recycling targets

Latest Defra figures suggest that some packaging firms may have failed to comply with the UK Packaging Waste Regulations in 2004, according to compliance expert Valpak. The company’s comments come in response to the recent release of Defra’s recovery and recycling figures for the fourth quarter of 2004. According to Valpak, these figures show that in 2004 the UK failed to meet intermediate recycling targets in aluminium, steel, plastic, and the overall general recycling target.

Latest Defra figures suggest that some packaging firms may have failed to comply with the UK Packaging Waste Regulations in 2004, according to compliance expert Valpak. The company’s comments come in response to the recent release of Defra’s recovery and recycling figures for the fourth quarter of 2004. According to Valpak, these figures show that in 2004 the UK failed to meet intermediate recycling targets in aluminium, steel, plastic, and the overall general recycling target. One reason for this is that the run rate increased significantly during the fourth quarter. This impacted on the carry-out figures which are higher than expected, especially as the UK failed to meet some of the 2004 targets. The European Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive of 1994, recently revised in 2004, sets new, even more challenging and differentiating, recycling targets for all packaging materials. In this new legal frame, metals have to achieve a 50 per cent recycling rate in 12 European countries by 2008. PRNs and Packaging Waste Export Recovery Notes (PERNs) provide the evidence that businesses need to prove they have met the requirements of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations. They are sold by accredited reprocessors and exporters in exchange for waste. Alternatively, obligated businesses can join compliance schemes who buy PRNs on their behalf. Valpak notes that the total number of PRNs purchased in 2004 failed to meet the overall general recycling target by just 80,000 tonnes. Plastic PRNs fell short of the material specific target by over 40,000 tonnes, taking account of carry-out exceeding carry-in in 2004.