Trade associations representing the UK’s paper and glass sectors have voiced strong opposition to the government’s plans to introduce commingled collections for recyclable materials.
The associations include the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI), British Glass, and the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment UK.
They collectively urged the UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) to reconsider its strategy under the Simpler Recycling scheme.
The current proposal by Defra to allow mixed collections of paper, card, glass, and liquid cartons is being challenged due to concerns over the degradation of recovered material.
These associations warn that mixing paper and card with other materials will lead to a decline in the quality of recyclables, thereby increasing the scope of rejected materials that cannot be repurposed into new products.
The commingled collections will also reportedly put the UK’s recycling rates at risk, a press release from the CPI said, citing evidence from both Defra and international sources.
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In addition, this approach could result in significantly higher reprocessing costs for waste processors and reprocessors, potentially leading to disinvestment in domestic recycling infrastructure.
The trade associations are calling for separate collections of paper/card and glass while liquid cartons can be collected with plastics and metals.
This approach, they claim, will increase the value of the material collected and recycling quality.
CPI director general Andrew Large said: “Whilst we agree with the ambition to mandate collections of certain materials, in order to meet recycling targets and achieve a more efficient, circular bioeconomy, we need a system that will drive up the quality of recyclable materials. Commingling paper and card with other materials damages the quality of recyclate collected, ultimately hampering progress towards a zero-waste economy.
“Separate collections underpin some of the most successful recycling systems in Europe, including Labour-run Wales – where 87% of card is collected for recycling.
“To achieve a net-zero economy, we urge the Defra secretary to halt the Simpler Recycling proposals they inherited from their predecessors until they meet the new government’s circular economy ambitions.”
The latest figures from Defra indicated that Plastic Packaging Tax revenue in the country for the financial year 2023 to 2024 amounted to £268m ($345.65m).
