European plastics groups introduce plastics pledge

The British Plastics Federation, (BPF), London, the Packaging and Films Association (PAFA), Nottingham, U.K., and Plastics Europe, Brussels, have jointly announced that they are adopting and developing a program known as PIRAP (Plastics Industry Recycling Action Plan) that seeks to help the plastics industry move toward a 2017 plastics recycling target that is required by the U.K. government.

The PIRAP plan has brought together 48 stakeholders from both the government and business. The stakeholders include all members of Plastics 2020, which was formed in 2009 to challenge producers, consumers and the U.K. government to devise strategies to double the recycling rate of plastic packaging in the U.K. by the year 2020.

PIRAP had previously been chaired by the U.K. government entity WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme). The program’s prior responsibility was to work to identify steps and strategies that would improve plastics recycling in the U.K.

Plastics 2020, aided by WRAP, will seek support from stakeholders including brands, retailers, local authorities, waste management companies, various U.K. government departments and agencies, as well as their own industry members and recyclers to turn the document into specific actions to help secure the increased tonnages that will be needed if plastics recycling is to be elevated to the requisite level in the U.K.

In developing the action plan, members note that the U.K.’s plastics recycling rate has been lagging. To remedy this, the PIRAP program has highlighted a number of areas where improvements could be made to enhance collection rates, adopt best-in-class collection methods, optimize sorting infrastructure and develop end markets.

In a joint statement, members of the pledge say, “The U.K. has made tremendous progress in recent years and the Plastics 2020 Consortium believe that if we can further improve infrastructure links and engender closer working relationships between all the relevant stakeholders, a vibrant recycling business sector, producing high quality products and additional jobs, will continue to develop within the U.K.”