Enhanced government support is vital to help boost investor confidence in the waste-to-resource sector and develop the infrastructure required to meet the revised 57% plastic packaging recycling target by 2017, according to resource recovery specialist Axion Consulting.
Axion director Keith Freegard said that careful monitoring and control of the economic drivers will also be needed to ensure investment in new sorting capacity and reprocessing plants matches rising volumes from local authority kerbside collections.
“The UK infrastructure is adapting to deal with the greater mix of plastic types from householders, but what is needed is a solid and well-thought out growth plan across the whole waste packaging supply chain to maintain this positive momentum,” he said.
His comments follow the publication of Wrap's guide for local authorities on collecting and recycling rigid plastic packaging (pots, tubs and trays), which was produced with support from Axion and AMEC, an environmental and engineering consultancy.
This guide seeks to explain the opportunities and challenges associated with targeting these materials at the kerbside (commonly alongside plastic bottles) and gives information on how they are handled within MRFs (materials recovery facilities) and PRFs (plastic recovery facilities), the export market and key communications considerations.