The Advisory Committee on Packaging is investigating how much packaging could potentially be recycled over the next decade in a bid to inform the government's waste policy review.
The committee, which is made up of representatives from throughout the packaging supply chain, is drawing together a wide range of information and expertise about different material streams in order to make a range of recommendations in March about how ambitious it believes future packaging policy should be.
The Advisory Committee on Packaging's (ACP) work covers a broad spectrum, from looking at packaging optimisation to the packaging recycling potential work, something which is being coordinated on behalf of the ACP by the Packaging Federation.
ACP chairman Bob Lisney told letsrecycle.com: “If we know what the potential is then we can say when we can get there sensibly and that helps set targets.”
Many in the packaging recycling sector were shocked by the government's lack of ambition in keeping packaging recycling targets for businesses broadly the same in 2011 and 2012 (see letsrecycle.com story), so the ACP's input into the waste review is expected to be crucial.
Working groups
Mr Lisney said that the committee had set up a number of working groups which would feed back their findings to the next meeting of the ACP on January 17.
And, while he said that it was still too early days to announce any findings to date, he said the committee thought the government needed to “set tougher targets than those out there are the moment”. This is particularly pertinent as the European Packaging Waste Directive – and targets – are due to be revised in 2014.
He said: “We will be much more visible in 2011 as we will have a new ‘product' in the Spring. At the moment I'm very pleased with all the input and process. We are getting towards the final furlong of being able to put the individual work together and share it across the committee.”
Packaging is still a stop priority for the government, which Mr Lisney said was evident in the fact that the ACP will be retained as a committee of experts beyond March 2011 despite its status as a non-department body coming to an end.
He said: “In the submissions into the waste review something like 50% of the respondents made some comment about packaging, so Defra were quite keen to keep a committee going. I think we will have something interesting to say and I feel very comfortable that we will be listened to.”
Groups
Working groups currently set up by the ACP cover: The optimisation of packaging; procuring and delivering of services; and plastics.
A task force is also looking at the issue of obligated tonnage, amid concerns that a lot of companies are dropping out of the producer responsibility system because they are falling below the de minimis threshold which requires them to contribute.
Mr Lisney said the task force was looking at whether there was another way those companies could contribute to packaging recovery.
The ACP is also keen to communicate the benefits of packaging and to put in place the appropriate incentives for recycling it.
Mr Lisney said: “We are tackling a very wide agenda at once deliberately. I'm really keen to ensure we don't duck any issues that are of public concern, such as why you can't always recycle yoghurt pots. I'm really keen to push the boundaries to see the maximum amount we can recover sensibly. That's really what green groups and industry want to achieve.”
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