Packaging is often thought of as nothing but waste, and plastics in particular are criticised for their presence in landfill sites, or worse – ‘plastic soup’ floating about in the ocean. To some extent, the criticisms are justified, but the great strides made by companies and organisations to facilitate recycling, particularly in Europe, is something that is not generally recognised.
For example, the European PET bottle collection rate in 2009 increased by 2.5% to 48.4%, a new study has revealed. PET Containers Recycling Europe (Petcore) said the collection rate in post-sorting reached 1.4 million tonnes, an increase of 8% on 2008.
Some countries are better than others, but outstanding rates are reported for Switzerland, where 81% of PET plastics bottles were recycled in 2009. This represents a rise of 3% over 2008, despite anadditional 32 million bottles going into circulation during 2009.
The same upward swing was true of other materials, such as paper & board, which in Europe reached a rate of 66.6% in 2008 – the rate set as a target for 2010 by the European Recovered Paper Council (ERPC). Glass reached similarly high levels of recycling in Europe, at 65% in 2008. This exceeds the target set by the EU Packaging and Waste Directive of 60%; and Belgium achieved close to 100% collection of glass bottles and jars, which is a tremendous achievement.
The latest figures available from The European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA) are for 2008, when recycling rates for alufoil trays and semi-rigid containers rose to 45%, 5% up on 2007. Aluminium has the benefit of being endlessly recyclable; and the only barriers to this are consumers’ willingness to use facilities available to them; and the facilities being available in the first place.
Concerted efforts have long been made in the used beverage can (UBC) sector, which in some countries (for example Belgium, Sweden and Switzerland) reached a level of 90% in 2008, according to the European Aluminium Association (EAA). But the UK lagged behind the rest of Europe, with a rate of 51% in 2008, compared with a Europe-wide average of 63%. However, Rick Hindly, Executive Director of the UK’s aluminium packaging recycling trade body Alupro, said: “Given the UK system, I think it’s a good rate”.
All stakeholders have to be on board to reach the ambitious targets set, but if obstacles are put in the way, it is hard to achieve them. For example, in the UK, the Packaging and Films Association (PAFA) has warned that the Government risks setting unachievable plastics recycling targets before ensuring that there is the infrastructure in place to make recycling
Maureen Byrne,
Editor
Maureen Byrne
