PLASTIC PACKAGING UK
Recycling rates exceed earlier estimates for 2013, says Defra / Higher rates still needed to meet targets
The UK has exceeded its plastic packaging recycling target for 2013, with recycling rates higher than previously estimated, according to a report compiled by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP, Banbury / UK; www.wrap.org.uk) and Valpak Consulting (Stratford-upon-Avon / UK; www.valpak.co.uk). Some 32% of plastic packaging placed on the market was recycled, compared with previous estimates of 27%, states the report, which was commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra; www.defra.gov.uk).
The difference in the estimates results from a reduction in flow rates, with the amount of material recycled remaining the same. The new report, entitled “Plastic Packaging Market Study (Plastic Flow) 2014”, claims that more than 2.26m t of new plastic packaging was placed on the market, about 330,000 t less than that previously estimated by Defra. Lightweighting is cited as one of the reasons behind the fall in the estimated amount of plastic packaging placed on the market.
If current trends continue, the UK could achieve a recycling rate of 38% in 2017 and 43% in 2020, the report says. However, significant increases in recycling will be required to meet the current business targets.
e-Service:
"Plastic Packaging Market Study (Plastic Flow) 2014" as a PDF file
13.01.2015 Plasteurope.com 923 [230132-0]
Published on 13.01.2015