One of Alupro's key roles is to represent the Industry with key stakeholders and to ensure that the unique sustainability credentials of aluminium packaging are properly reflected in policy making.
Here we outline our position on key elements of current waste policy in the UK and the devolved administrations.
Waste Policy Review 2011
In June 2011 the Government launched the results of its Waste Policy Review for England, which would set the direction of key policy issues for the
duration of the coalition Government.
Alupro welcomes the Waste Policy Review, but believes that Government must go further to meet its zero-waste economy ambitions. Read our statement from June 2011
Below we summarise the key points in the Review which could potentially impact upon aluminium packaging recycling:
Prioritising materials to drive up recycling rates, locally and nationally
For over 20 years, Alupro members have voluntarily invested in programmes to increase aluminium packaging recycling – there is no better example of 'extended producer responsibility'
The Waste Policy commits to prioritise recycling materials that can bring the biggest environmental benefits, like aluminium; however there is little actual policy to make sure that this happens.
The commitment to focus on materials that can deliver major carbon savings is a positive move. However there is no solid policy in place, or proposed, to make sure this prioritisation happens at a local level.
Increasing the amount of aluminium packaging recovered from households is largely dependent upon local authorities and waste companies prioritising the collection of aluminium – yet no significant drivers have been proposed to address this.
We are particularly disappointed that the Waste Policy Review does not include a firm commitment to introduce carbon-based recycling targets. This is being implemented in Scotland and will clearly focus local authorities' attention on materials which bring the most significant carbon benefits, such as aluminium.
Shared ambitions – Voluntary Responsibility Agreements
Many of the ambitions outlined in the Review are in line with those of the metal packaging industry. Alupro members have been voluntarily investing in programmes to increase aluminium packaging recycling for over 20 years – there is no better example of 'extended producer responsibility'. We were delighted that two metals industry programmes, Every Can Counts and MetalMatters, were singled out in the Review as examples of best practice in this area.
Alupro supports the concept of voluntary responsibility deals between industry and government. But these alone are not enough. The industry cannot continue to shoulder the burden of promoting metal recycling alone. We strongly believe that with further support from Government and other key stakeholders the recycling rates for these materials could be even better.
Alupro believes that technological advances in sorting and handling recyclables and the current collection infrastructure together are capable of achieving higher recovery rates for aluminium packaging. We would like to see the existing infrastructure working to its optimum performance, and would encourage Governments to focus their efforts and investment on helping industry achieve this rather than imposing the burden of new, expensive and often unproven, systems.
Alupro also supports the review of the Producer Responsibility regulations as part of the current Packaging Directive review. We hope that this will lead to even greater support from stakeholders for packaging recycling.
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Packaging Recycling Targets and the PRN System
The future success of the Producer Responsibility system for packaging recycling depends on a strong market for PRNs, driven by challenging recycling targets.
Alupro fully supports a review of Packaging Recycling Targets and is calling for the introduction of more challenging packaging recycling targets that are fair and equitable across all materials. Alupro believes packaging recycling targets must continue to be increased to drive future improvement in the UK's recycling performance.
The Producer Responsibility system underpins the UK's packaging recycling industry, encouraging investment and reporting its performance. The future success of the industry depends on a strong market for PRNs. A low PRN price is not attractive for reprocessors, who will see little incentive to become, or remain, accredited.
The Current Situation – Flat Targets for recycling 2011-13
The impact of the current, static targets has lead to a fall in the number of accredited reprocessors. This means that recycling performance is not being accurately reported. Any perceived backwards trend in recycling would be damaging for the recycling industry, not least in reducing funds available for investment, but also it would undermine all efforts to encourage consumers to keep recycling, let alone enabling or inspiring them to recycle more.
Without challenging targets to generate revenue and drive investment in the recycling infrastructure the PRN market will stagnate, and ultimately collapse. This is in nobody's interest.
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End of Waste Regulations
Alupro is concerned that changing the point at which a PRN can be issued could lead to inaccuracies in reporting recycling performance
Alupro is concerned that the changes to the definition of 'End of Waste' could seriously damage the integrity of the PRN system, and could ultimately
lead to the UK failing to be able to demonstrate its achievement of EU metals recycling targets.
Our specific concern is the change in the definition of End of Waste, moving this point back up the chain and thereby changing the point at which a PRN / PERN can be issued. Despite assurances by DEFRA that changes in the definition would not impact on the Packaging Regulations we remain concerned that this, together with the current low PRN price and consequent stagnation in the PRN market, will lead to recycling of metals being under-reported, and an increase in the potential for fraudulent reporting.
Read more:
Waste policy in the Devolved Administrations – aiming for zero waste: carbon metrics and landfill bans
Scotland
The Scottish Government's Zero Waste Plan sets a target of 70% recycling and composting for all waste by 2025. The Zero Waste Plan sets out a range of policy objectives to achieve this target. Included in this is a commitment to measure the carbon impacts of waste to prioritise the recycling of resources which offer the greatest environmental and climate change outcomes. Our understanding is that this measurement will begin in 2013/14.
Alupro supports the Zero Waste ambitions of the Scottish Government and in particular the commitment to trial a carbon metric for measuring recycling performance, as it recognises that using waste tonnage alone as a basis for measuring recycling is flawed. Weight-based targets have meant that waste prevention efforts have not been targeted towards the material with the greatest environmental benefit.
Aluminium packaging comprises around 1% of the waste stream, yet the carbon benefits of recycling every tonne far outweigh that of other materials – each tonne recycled saves 95% of the energy and associated greenhouse gas emissions compared to making aluminium from raw materials. And as the metal is endlessly recyclable the benefit is cumulative – each product recycled cuts the carbon impact of the next product made.
Alupro awaits more details of the Scottish Government's carbon metric with interest, and is fully committed to providing whatever assistance and support necessary to the Government on behalf of the industry.
Read more: Scottish Government's Zero Waste Plan
Wales
The Welsh Assembly Government aims to become a high recycling nation by 2025 and a zero waste nation by 2050.
One policy area which could affect aluminium packaging recovery rates is the proposed introduction of a ban on sending some materials to landfill. This policy was recently discounted by the UK Government and Alupro awaits the outcome of the Welsh Assembly Government's deliberations on this.
We have no ideological objection to a ban on landfilling aluminium packaging, and believe that all residual waste should be sorted for recycling prior to landfill to avoid valuable materials being wasted.
However whilst a landfill ban would lead to increased recovery of material for recycling, we would be concerned that the cost burden to the industry could be huge, and so would urge the Welsh Assembly Government to consider carefully the management of this area of policy.
Alupro believes that technological advances in sorting and handling recyclables together with the current collection infrastructure are capable of achieving higher recovery rates for aluminium packaging. We would like to see the existing infrastructure working at optimum performance levels, and would encourage Governments to focus their efforts and investment on helping industry achieve this rather than imposing the burden of new, expensive and often unproven, systems.
Read more: Welsh Assembly Government, 'Towards Zero Waste'
Deposits on packaging
Alupro believes deposits are not the answer to the litter problem.
In September 2010 the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) published a report recommending the introduction of deposits on drinks packaging as a solution to the UK's litter problem.
Over the past 22 years the aluminium packaging industry has invested over £50 million supporting the development of the recycling infrastructure for aluminium packaging, including drinks cans. This has focused on voluntary collection systems including cash for cans and supporting the development of local authority kerbside collection programmes. These collection systems have delivered year-on-year increases in recycling performance; indeed last year in 2010 nearly six out of ten aluminium drinks cans sold were recycled.
Alupro recognises that encouraging recycling outside the home is a key challenge facing the packaging industry and in response established the Every Can Counts programme. Every Can Counts is working on behalf of its funding partners in the beverage can industry to encourage the recycling of drinks cans used outside the home; specifically whilst at work or 'on the go'.
We recognise that any drink can used outside the home has the potential to become litter. As such it also represents a loss of a valuable material which could be recycled and back on the sale as another can in just six weeks. The litter 'issue' is bigger than one material or waste stream. Therefore we strongly believe that it is in everyone's interest to support initiatives which encourage people to recycle when they are out and about.
Through the Every Can Counts programme the beverage can manufacturing and reprocessing industry is involved in a range of projects which are both supporting the investment in the infrastructure to enable that drinks cans consumed on the go can be recycled, and promoting the importance of recycling on the go at high profile locations and events. In so-doing we hope to make a meaningful and lasting contribution to bringing about necessary infrastructure improvements, combined with behaviour change which enables recycling on the go to become second nature.
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