Two years’ concerted lobbying has seen PIFA, (the UK Packaging and Industrial Films Association) successfully complete negotiations with DEFRA (the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) for a Climate Change Agreement (CCA), under which eligible plastic film or sheet-producing sites will be able to apply for an 80% discount on the levy (CCL) by joining the PIFA scheme.
The association says each extrusion site – depending on size – could save between £5,000 and £100,000 annually. PIFA ceo David Tyson says: “This is the culmination of an enormous amount of effort in preparing and presenting our case. In today’s environment of unrelenting increases in energy costs, coupled with very low margins in our industry, member business would have to generate significantly higher levels of turnover to achieve this degree of saving.”
PIFA brought together a core team of major manufacturers to secure a levy discount for the entire plastic film extrusion sector.
The Climate Change Agreement relies on participants delivering reductions in carbon emissions via energy efficiency improvements. PIFA will be responsible for independently recording actual achievements and the confidential monitoring of participating companies to ensure targets are met to ensure continuation of the discount. This means collecting energy consumption and other data from sites and reporting this to DEFRA annually; participating firms must pay an administration charge to join the CCA scheme.
Contact PIFA at: pifa@pifa.co.uk (T: +44 (0)115 942 2445 until 1st May, 2006; +44 (0)115 941 4701 thereafter) for an application pack.
