The focus of the paper is on the eagerly anticipated feedback from Defra on the 2021 consultations on Consistency in Collections.
The paper also draws on the key aspects of other related policy areas, particularly the aims and consequences of Extended Producer Responsibility.
John Melia, Director of Strategy & Innovation Recycling Division at DS Smith
Within this paper we have set out the background on the UK’s current approach to recycling and associated legislation, the issues posed by TEEP (Technically, Environmentally, and Economically Practicable) as we see them, and the contribution that source segregation can make in helping the UK meet its ambitious paper and card recycling rates.
There will be a variety of incentives for stakeholders to reassess the historic methods of recycling in the UK and to engage with the UK Government in building a more efficient and effective alternative. For Policy Makers there is the draw of better national recycling rates, and for Recycling Officers and other Local Authority stakeholders, the clear benefits of improved recycling revenues, clearer recycling systems, and higher recycling rates. The higher recycling rates and improved quality achieved through optimised recycling systems will result in a more efficient recycling industry, with less wastage of valuable resources that can be used in the circular economy.
There is a real opportunity here for the UK Government and stakeholders in the recycling supply chain to work together to improve recycling in the UK both in terms of quantity and quality
Read and download our briefing paper here
