The Plastics Industry Talks To Ben Bradshaw On Plastics Packaging

THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY TALKS TO BEN BRADSHAW

ON PLASTICS PACKAGING

The British Plastics Federation and Plastics Europe yesterday met with Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw MP to discuss: plastic packaging; bio-degradable packaging and the forthcoming Defra Waste Strategy.

BPF Director-General said, “It was a good meeting with a fair bit of common ground emerging and some action to progress, such as giving WRAP some new objectives and giving consumers the real facts on the benefits of plastics packaging.”

Retailers and media hype on ‘overpackaging’

Philip Law, BPF Public and Industrial Affairs Director told the Minister it was difficult for consumers to appreciate the full life cycle role of packaging when there were misconceptions and lack of objectivity in media coverage and retailers’ policies.  Biodegradable materials had many benefits but the limitations were often forgotten such as: contamination of recycling stream; energy use; greenhouse gas effect in landfill. Can the BPF and Defra work together to ensure the consumer receives balanced information on the purpose and benefits of plastic packaging?

Mr Bradshaw had a ‘great deal of sympathy’ with our points on bio-degradables and agreed there was consumer confusion.  He asked us to supply him with good examples and figures on the resource efficiency of plastic packaging.

The UK Plastics Industry and Recycling

Peter Davis Director General of BPF told the Minister that the BPF also has bio-degradable producers and users and recyclers as members.  Our policy is that used plastics should not go into landfill as it is a valuable resource.  It should be recycled but where this does not make sense environmentally and economically, it should go to energy from waste and provide much needed home grown energy.

Mr Davis said UK recycling was on the increase with a 21.8% recycling rate for plastic packaging.  We are a key stakeholder, yet are not included in Defra’s ‘Courtauld Commitment’ with the major retailers.  We should be included to bring some commonsense since our members collectively pay £18m a year towards the recycling and recovery of plastics packaging.

Mr Bradshaw though it a good idea to involve the BPF and its members in the Courtauld Commitment and asked his officials to look into this

The forthcoming Waste Strategy

Jan-Erik Johansson Plastic Europe’s North Region and acting Advocacy Director told the Minister that countries like Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark had effectively stopped sending plastics to landfill through a resource strategy encompassing recycling, composting and energy recovery.  Hampshire County Council’s Integra waste resource strategy was a good example for Europe as well as the UK

Mr Johansson said PET bottle recycling levels in the UK are poor at 10%, only a third of the European average. The UK lags behind most of Europe with far too little Energy from Waste capacity for unrecyclable waste.  The local authority structure hindered the development of both, as did the lengthy planning process.

Mr Johansson suggested that WRAP be encouraged to:

• Work harder on PET bottle recycling
• Take on the brief to promote the benefits of Energy from Waste

Mr Bradshaw said the Government would soon publish proposals on changes to the planning process.  He would consider the points made about WRAP.  His officials advised that Defra’s new Waste Strategy will be published in late May.

Peter Davis

Director General BPF

Editor’s Notes

1. The original letter to Mr Bradshaw is attached.

2. Courtauld Commitment

The Courtauld Commitment is between the 13 retailers and WRAP, and was developed in partnership with Defra, the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government, the British and Scottish Retails Consortia and the IGD.

At a Ministerial meeting at the Courtauld Gallery last year with Environment Minister Elliot Morley and WRAP Chief Executive Jennie Price, senior representatives from Asda, Boots, Budgens, the Co-operative Group, Londis, Iceland, Kwik Save, Marks & Spencer, Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s, Somerfield, Tesco and Waitrose pledged their commitment at executive level to supporting WRAP in achieving its objectives:

• to design out packaging waste growth by 2008
• to deliver absolute reductions in packaging waste by March 2010
• to identify ways to tackle the problem of food waste

Brand owners are currently being invited to join the Commitment

3. WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme)

1. WRAP works in partnership to encourage and enable businesses and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials and recycle more things more often. This helps to minimise landfill, reduce carbon emissions and improve our environment.

2. Established as a not-for-profit company in 200, WRAP is backed by substantial Government funding from Defra and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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For further information on this press release, please contact Thom Lant, British Plastics Federation, 6 Bath Place, Rivington Street, London, EC2A 3JE, tel 020 7457 5032, fax 020 7457 5001, email: [email protected]

Notes for editors