Plastics 2020 launches Plastics Industry Recycling Action Plan

Plastics 2020, a United Kingdom campaign launched in 2009 to prevent the landfill of recyclable plastics, has released the Plastics Industry Recycling Action Plan (PIRAP). Partners involved in the project include the British Plastics Federation (BPF), PlasticsEurope and the Packaging and Films Association (PAFA) as well as WRAP, the U.K.’s Waste & Resources Action Programme.

According to the BPF, the PIRAP plan provides a cooperative strategy for the plastic packaging supply chain to contribute to the U.K. goal of 57 percent plastic packaging recycling by 2017 by developing a sustainable plastics recycling sector in the U.K.

The plan includes proposed improvements that could help develop end markets for recycled plastics, enhance collection rates, improve collection methods and optimize sorting infrastructure and design.

Philip Law, director general of BPF, says, “Recycling is the absolutely essential component of the sustainability story. It’s a great achievement to secure an agreed document in an area which has become a political football. Plastics packaging recycling levels are a function of so many factors and the support of a very large number of organizations has to be harnessed to make significant progress.”

Kim Christiansen, regional director-north for PlasticsEurope, adds, “The proposed U.K. 2017 plastics recycling targets represent a great challenge to industry in taking it from a mid-performing to one of the top performing member states in Europe. To help rise to this challenge PlasticsEurope and its 2020 partners welcome the support of WRAP and Defra in helping us work with the value chain in order to drive the U.K. towards this goal.”

Barry Turner, chief executive of the U.K. Packaging and Films Association (PAFA), says, “Despite the ink on the final document being barely dry I am pleased to see that so many stakeholders have come forward.”

WRAP initiated PIRAP through consultation with stakeholders, including national and local government, the waste management industry, obligated users, producers, converters and recyclers. Plastics 2020 then adopted the task of engaging with the stakeholders to agree on different actions for commitment.

BPF reports that the document was finalized in recent weeks, and some of its supporters include:

• Anthesis Group; 
• British Polythene Industries PLC; 
• Centriforce Products Ltd.; 
• Chase Plastics; 
• Coca Cola Enterprises; 
• EcoPlastics Recycling
• Environmental Services Association; 
• Faerch Plast; 
• Food and Drinks Federation; 
• Foodservice Packaging Association; 
• Jayplas; 
• mtm Plastics; 
• Recoup; 
• Shanks Waste Management; and
• Veolia.

BPF reports that Plastics 2020 will work with stakeholders to establish a number of joint actions that can be taken to ensure the year-on-year growth in recycled plastics. This will cover all aspects of the packaging’s end-of-life cycle including collection, household participation, sorting, reprocessing and support for innovation, BPF says.