Plastics and packaging

In a similar vein to Simpler Recycling in England, the Northern Ireland Executive is currently consulting on proposals to increase the quality and quantity of materials captured for recycling by requiring councils to collect a core set of dry recyclable materials from households within two years of notification of a statutory requirement. It is also proposed to include in this core set flexible plastic packaging by the end of the financial year 2026/27.

The default collection method will be as four separate streams (glass, paper/card, plastics and metal) with any exceptions such as for co collection requiring evidence that comparable quality is assured. One upfront exception is being considered to allow plastic and metal to be co-collected. The consultation also includes broadly similar proposals for separate collection from businesses and public bodies. The consultation closes on 27 June.

FDF is working with other packaging value chain organisations under the Incpen Trade Association Group umbrella to develop a response to the consultation. The general approach will be to ensure that the approach adopted in Northern Ireland supports a UK wide approach to packaging EPR. Member feedback would also be welcome.

WRAP is seeking input from wider industry on the proposed ambition and target framework of a successor agreement to The UK Plastics Pact which runs until the end of 2025.

They are hosting a webinar for industry beyond their existing members to talk through the consultation process, their proposed target frameworks and overall ambition for the pact as well as an overview of activity to date. 

You can sign up to the webinar here. 

On 14^th January 2023, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Thérèse Coffey, announced that a range of single-use plastics will be banned in England from October 2023.

The ban will include single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers. It will also cover items made from plastic that is bio-based, biodegradable or compostable.

Further detail of the policy decisions can be viewed in the consultation response available here.

The ban will not apply to plates, trays, and bowls that are used as packaging in shelf-ready pre-packaged food items, as these will be included under the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme.

These plans follow from the 2018 ban on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products and 2020 restrictions on the supply of single-use plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds.

The Government is also considering further measures around other commonly littered and problematic plastic items, including wet wipes, tobacco filters and sachets, following the call for evidence on this issue. 

The waste hierarchy is a tool used in the evaluation of different waste management options according to which is the best for the environment. The aim is to extract the maximum practical benefits from products and to generate the minimum amount of waste. 

WRAP’s report aims to highlight best practice waste management methods based on a careful review of current practices for plastic waste in the UK along with the end of life plastic waste life cycle assessments.

The report indicates that preventing waste in the first place is the preferred option in all circumstances, with landfill and incineration typically being the least desirable options.

Furthermore, the report offers potential solutions to help move UK plastic waste up the waste hierarchy and overcome the identified challenges.

A second report – the Plastics Waste Hierarchy Life Cycle Assessments – provides further detail about the life cycle assessments used in DEFRA’s Plastic Waste Hierarchy.

Through CBI we have recently learnt that the Department for International Trade (DIT) are considering holding a meeting to better understand how UK companies will be impacted by future changes to EU legislation on Packaging and Packaging Waste. Consequently we have been asked to gauge interest in such a meeting from among our members.  If such a meeting is likely to interest you please could you contact david.bellamy@fdf.org.uk. Once the meeting is confirmed and more information becomes available we will update the blog.