While the government is keen to increase the recycling of all packaging materials, aluminium, glass and plastic receive particular focus. Aluminium Weight-based landfill diversion targets have hindered the collection of aluminium, despite its high value, and only 35% of aluminium packaging is recycled. While 95% of local authorities collect aluminium, few have systems in place to maximise kerbside collection. Insufficient on-the-go recycling facilities have also limited collection of the 18% of aluminium consumed outside of the home. The government supports existing methods to boost recycling, such as Alupro's work to boost foil collection and Coca-Cola's Recycle Zones, and is set to consult on increasing targets over the next decade. It is also going to study the possibility of banning aluminium from landfill altogether. Glass Although recycling targets have been met (78% in 2008), a third of the material collected is used for aggregates rather than turned back into containers. Co-mingled collection is not the preferred option for glass as it favours aggregates, and mixed cullet has a lower value than clear cullet, but 15% of authorities currently use this type of kerbside collection. Furthermore, around a quarter of glass packaging is used in the hospitality sector that has recycling rates of between 16% and 21%. The government has said it will consult on maximising the carbon benefits of glass packaging that could potentially include colour-specific producer responsibility targets. Plastics Recycling of plastic bottles - usually PET and HDPE - has developed over the past five years to around 35%, but more needs to be done to address mixed plastics. One option would be to split plastics recycling targets into different packaging types according to the availability of sorting and reprocessing capacity. The government will also work to develop mixed plastics recycling infrastructure. There has been significant growth in biopolymers but these materials can also have a negative impact on existing recycling systems for oil-based plastics. As such, a new home compostable certification scheme will be launched later in the year. Quality and quantity Recognising waste as a resource underlines much of the thinking on recycling. It needs to make economic and environmental sense and higher quality materials have higher values - a tonne of colour-separated glass is worth a third more than a tonne of mixed-colour cullet. However, an increasing number of local authorities are opting for co-mingled collections, and the government is looking to respond by improving the quality of recyclate produced by materials recovery facilities (mrfs) that need to be designed to adapt to future requirements. The government is trialling a benchmarking system for the quality of MRF material, and will consider introducing quality standards for recyclate in the next two years. PRNs: towards a new system Under the current set-up, producers have not had to invest heavily in the household recycling structure that is so crucial to improving recycling rates - the current targets encourage a focus on commercial and industrial waste streams. While the current market-based system is cheap for the packaging supply chain, it lacks transparency and it is hard to predict income. A number of different recycling models are used across Europe, including deposit systems, bring-banks, pure producer responsibility, the Green Dot scheme and so on. However, the Packaging Recycling Action Group last year found that for the UK, variations on the current system would be the best option for the UK. The government is planning to consult in 2010 on changing the PRN system. In particular, it wants to find ways to increase contributions from PRN and perns towards household recycling. It also wants to strengthen the accountability of reprocessors for how they use PRN cash, perhaps by making the reporting system more robust. It will also consider a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Packaging to tie producers in to three-year contracts with compliance schemes, thereby forcing both to plan longer term than under the current annual system. Local authorities and recycling The packaging industry often criticises the lack of standardised waste collections between local authorities, and the Packaging Recycling Action Group is looking into increasing standardisation of systems. It has surveyed local authorities and suggested six potential options. Greater consistency in the "coverage and design" of collections would have advantages for overall efficiency and consumer satisfaction when it comes to recycling - and government will work with the Local Government Association and Wrap to encourage convergence between the systems. The government will also push local authorities to develop waste partnerships between all the players in the waste management chain. Formal partnerships between local authorities and the private sector can help to harmonise collection systems and save money. They also drive up the pursuit of recyclate quality, as both the local authority and the private-sector waste management companies are exposed to the risks and rewards of the market. KEY PROPOSALS The strategy makes 12 key recommendations and sets out a timeframe for each of these to happen. They are: Packaging proposals
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