Proposed targets for the recycling of paper, steel, aluminium and wood up to 2020 have been outlined by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Defra launched a consultation on three proposed options for the future of the targets in late November. At present, targets have only been set until the end of 2017 and stand at 55% for aluminium, 76% for steel, 69.5% for paper, 22% for wood and 79% for recovery.
The options include keeping all of the targets at current levels until the end of the decade or two options with incrementally increasing targets to 2020 which end at: 75% for paper, 61% for aluminium, 85% for steel, 48% for wood and 85% for recovery.
The third option includes targets that rise incrementally to 2020, ending at 72% for paper, 64% for aluminium, 82% for steel, 31% for wood and 82% for recovery.
The government has now given stakeholders until 6 January to respond to provide views on the proposals, having stated that it has no preferred option for the future target levels.
Targets for glass and plastic packaging have already been set up to 2020 – having been outlined by government in Budget 2016.
