Recycling
The British Plastics Federation has outlined a new strategic document outlining a range of key proposals intended to drive innovation in the plastics sector and improve UK recycling rates.
The document ‘Plastics: A Vision for a Circular Economy’ outlines headline measures to ensure 100 per cent of plastic packaging and single-use items are reused, recycled or recovered by 2030, as well as to minimising plastic entering the sea from the UK.
It says adopting the principles of circularity laid out in the Government’s UK Industrial Strategy could lead to a low carbon manufacturing revolution, create jobs and wealth as well as establishing a world-leading circular economy.
To help achieve these aims, the plastics industry has already proposed extending and revising the current Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) system. The BPF believes that the current PRN system should be extended to include plastic items that are not packaging products but are products used in conjunction with food and drink consumed ‘on the go’, such as cutlery or straws.
However, it says revisions to the current system need to support the development of the UK’s recycling infrastructure. Evidence suggests, it adds, that collaborative work is also needed to deliver anti-littering, behaviour-change and educational campaigns to maximise recycling and stop plastic entering the marine environment from the UK’s shores.
The document also explains how the plastics industry would like to help deliver a streamlined recycling system, simplifying communication and eliminating confusion for the consumer. It says findings suggest that adopting consistent collection schemes throughout the UK (both kerbside and ‘on the go’), which means every council collecting the same products for recycling, would be a “major step forwards”.
The BPF says it will also be consulting its members with the aim of agreeing a set of traffic light systems and best practice design tools. It is hoped that this will encourage brands and retailers to make the best decisions when designing their products.
“Plastic waste is an urgent issue and all of us have a shared responsibility to do something about it. As an industry, we want to play our part in reducing plastic waste so we leave the environment in a better place for generations to come,” commented Philip Law, Director-General of the British Plastics Federation.
“Our ambition is to agree upon industry-standard traffic light systems and best practice design tools that can be used by manufacturers to advise brands and retailers on the recyclability and sustainability of their products.”
He continued: “As an industry, we will also continue to invest in innovation so that we can realise our vision to see 100 per cent of plastic packaging reused, recycled or recovered.“We will work with government to make it easier for consumers to consistently recycle plastic products wherever they live in the UK.”
You can read the ‘Plastics: A Vision for a Circular Economy’ document here.