News

The government faces pressure from different industry sectors to amend its proposed business recycling and recovery targets for packaging.

The steel industry has warned that the targets, set out in a consultation last month, might not be high enough to encourage investment in infrastructure, while the aluminium sector is concerned that it will not be able to meet its targets because of rules governing overseas processors.

The government has suggested setting a 68% target for steel in 2008, rising to 68.5% in 2009, 69% in 2010, and by one percentage point in both 2011 and 2012.

But Corus Steel Packaging Recycling manager David Williams said: “Corus’s concern is that unless targets are stretching, over-supply in the PRN market will cause the price to collapse.

“If we don’t have targets there is a danger that recycling and recovery levels will slip through lack of investment in the recycling infrastructure.”

Alupro called on the government to resolve the “broadly equivalent” issue, which requires exporters of aluminium waste to prove to the Environment Agency that overseas reprocessors meet similar quality standards to their European counterparts.

Without this, the agency will not issue Packaging Export Recovery Notes, so any recycling or recovery that takes place will not count towards targets. Alupro wants the government to clarify what documentation is needed.

Aluminium has a 32.5% target this year, but the government proposes increasing this to 38% next year, then by one percentage point in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

The 2008 target for glass is 78.5%, rising to 80% in 2009, 81% in 2010, 82% in 2011 and 84% in 2012.

However, British Glass director general David Workman said the higher targets would only be achieved if there was an improvement in the quality of glass coming from materials recycling facilities.

• UK retailers came under fire last month in a Local Government Association report on recyclable food packaging. It said Marks & Spencer used less recyclable packaging than its main rivals, and none of the supermarkets did as well as market traders.