The Resource Association, a new professional advocacy body for the reprocessing and recycling industries, has launched a charter designed to provide the public with a clearer picture of where their recycling ultimately ends up.
The End Destinations of Recycling Charter, which supported by the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC) Executive, has been commended by Defra waste minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach.
Everyone knows that recycling their rubbish is the right thing to do, but most people are completely unaware of what happens to their recycling after they put it out for collection,” he said. “This new charter developed by the Resource Association and LARAC provides people with the answers and will hopefully provide an extra incentive for people to recycle more.”
The charter is a voluntary initiative that seeks to improve the transparency around the end destination of recyclable materials from the household waste stream. By providing better information to the public, the aim is to raise awareness and understanding, improve public confidence in the recycling process, and increase participation in recycling schemes.
“The public has shown its support for recycling – recent reports from Defra and DoE in Northern Ireland (showing recycling rates of 42.5% and 42.8%) demonstrate that we have more than quadrupled household recycling in just over ten years,” said Ray Georgeson, chief executive of the Resource Association.
“There is, however, a strong appetite for more information about what happens beyond the point of collection and evidence suggests that better understanding could help to maintain and increase this support.”
A copy of the charter is available here.