05Jun

Plastics apart, packaging targets are largely on course

Posted on 5th June, 2017

Data published in May confirmed that packaging recycling targets for 2017 look to be largely on course to be met by the end of the year, with performance in steel, paper and wood ahead of schedule.

Plastics recycling, however, remains of some concern in light of tighter export controls being imposed by China, with the country taking in substantial volumes of plastic for recycling annually.

Obligation data which was made available on the Environment Agency’s National Packaging Waste Database (NPWD) in mid-May revealed the overall volume of recycled packaging waste, which packaging producers will need to fulfill by the end of the year.

Packaging compliance experts have described the obligations as ‘in line with expectations’.

The figures are based upon the volume of products that producers of packaging have placed onto the market in previous years – although the data is subject to change with some producers still to register their figures. Despite this, it is anticipated that late registrants will only have a minor impact on the final figures.

Focus will fall on the levels of plastic recycling in particular, with the reported difficulties in export markets coupled with a rising target expected to create challenging conditions for compliance schemes.