champions of resource reduction house of commons june 2013 our industry the uk remains one of the...

Champions of Resource Reduction

House of Commons June 2013

Our industry

The UK remains one of the top 5 processors of plastics in the EU

Our industry generates £17.5bn of sales in the UK

The plastics industry employs 180,000 people in the UK across over 7000 businesses and is widely dispersed.



Plastics 2020

• The partners– Plastics Europe– BPF– PAFA

• The purpose– Help facilitate change that will divert

plastics from Landfill.



Having no or less plastics in modern society is not an option

Without plastic, the weight of packaging would increase fourfold, the energy for packaging go up 50% and the volume of waste go up 60%



Our industry is a

Champion of Resource Reduction Design

versatility, functionality and light weighting have led to heavier containers being replaced with lightweight refill packs

In the last 15 years we have reduced the carbon impact of our products by 40% - 50% through light weighting



Innovative single portion packs and re-sealable packs save waste

Our industry is a

Champion of Innovation to reduce food waste



Plastic carrier bags are the most resource efficient way to carry goods home. More than 4,000 collection points have been introduced for recycling and recycled content is now the ‘norm’ in many bags.

Our industry is a

Champion of Resource Efficiency

Bag Charge

Bin Bag Sales

Bag Sizes

Store Theft



Q: Why isn’t more plastic recycled in the UK?

A: Plastic is inherently lightweight and UK waste

policy gives priority to heavier materials Action needed: Our industry and Governments must work together to adopt policies that divert plastic from landfill



This years WYG Report

49

36

56

31

35

25

10

56

3 4 5 51 0 5 0

17

10 12

9 12 12

8

12

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Fully co-m. inc. glass

(85)

Fully co-m. exc. glass

(64)

Two-stream, sep. paper

(47)

Two-stream, sep. glass

(30)

Other(40)

Separate inc. glass

(97)

Separate exc. glass

(3)

All(366)

Ke

rbs

ide

dry

re

cy

clin

g (

kg

/ h

h/ y

r) _

Upper quartile

Above median

Below median

Bottom quartile

Median



This years WYG report

All Plastic is Fantastic in Welwyn Hatfield

Prior to the introduction of Alternate Refuse and Recycling Collections (ARRC), residents of

Welwyn Hatfield were not able to recycle plastics at the kerbside. However, between March

and April 2011, ARRC was introduced across the borough, which saw 240 litre bins with a 40

litre insert for paper replace the previous box system. The new service enabled residents to

recycle all plastics for the very first time, including plastic bags, packaging and film co-

mingled with glass and tins. By listening to customers and making it easy to recycle such a

broad range of materials, the amount of plastics collected in the first year was 56

kg/household/year, the yields of paper, cans and glass also increased and customer

satisfaction with the recycling service increased from 60% in January 2011 to almost 84% in

January 2013.



Quality and Demand

• First demand….

• Second quality….



Action needed: catch up on energy recovery - some materials are the best environmental choice even if they are not the most recycled



Summary: Government policies must be proportionate to the crucial role of packaging to protect and preserve, thus preventing food waste. Our industry continues to innovate to achieve this whilst reducing our overall impacts

97% less packaging than glass jars

Up to 100% recycled content in pots, tubs and trays

61% reduction in carrier bag impacts through joint voluntary agreement



So in summary what do we still need to do

• Get those consumers that are currently not recycling to do so.

• Get more councils collecting plastics and align targets.• Continue to make landfilling of plastics more expensive• Ensure that recycled material is available at the right

quality levels in the UK.• Stimulate demand for recycled content• Ensure UK recyclers have a level playing field.• Catch up with the leading nations in Europe

with the utilisation of waste for energy.



The Opportunities to Help Reduce Food Waste

• As consumers we can all make more use of the packaging itself, and the information provided on it, to ensure that the way we store food at home keeps it fresher for longer

• Local authorities, consumer groups and others can provide advice on buying food with the appropriate packaging (e.g. loose or packaged if you want to keep it fresher for longer), buying the right pack size and looking more closely at labels

• Love Food Hate Waste is doing more to raise awareness of the benefits of reducing food waste, and the role that packaging can play in that. Further information about how to get involved can be found on its partners’ website

Champions of Waste Reduction


THE PROJECT PARTNERS• WRAP – LOVE FOOD HATE WASTE

• KENT WASTE PARTNERSHIP

• INCPEN

• THE PACKAGING FEDERATION

• FOOD AND DRINK FEDERATION

• BRITISH RETAIL CONSORTIUM

champions of resource reduction house of commons june 2013 our industry the uk remains one of the...

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