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ACP urges Defra to set 2011 recycling targets soon

The Advisory Committee on Packaging (ACP) has urged the government to set packaging recycling targets for next year "as soon as possible" to enable companies to plan for the year ahead.

According to the minutes from an ACP meeting in June, the ACP said "careful consideration to the targets for 2015-2020" was needed, particularly in relation to glass plastic and aluminium.

The ACP said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs would need to "set targets which, while keeping momentum in the system, did not overheat the market".

The ACP highlighted the success on achieving packaging recovery targets in 2009 and Defra said that it was encouraged by the first quarter’s figures for 2010.

If the UK maintains its performance in the first quarter of the year for the rest of the year,  recycling and recovery targets should be met for all materials", the minutes reveal.

Taskforces for metal and plastic
The minutes also reveal that the metals taskforce was continuing its work to revise protocols for steel and aluminium.

The ACP has also agreed to establish a new taskforce that examines issues around the recycling and recovery of plastic packaging.