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New packaging waste recycling targets will deliver greater carbon benefits

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (News Release ref : 41/08) issued by The Government News Network on 11 February 2008

Defra has today confirmed its intention that packaging waste recovery and recycling targets for Great Britain will increase from 2008 onwards.1

In this year alone the new, higher targets will save over 8m tonnes of CO2 from being emitted into the Earth's atmosphere, helping in the fight against dangerous climate change. The targets will increase again over the following two years to realise a further saving of 258,097 tonnes of CO2 in 2009 and then an additional 285,436 tonnes in 2010.

The targets announced today have been designed to save more CO2 emissions than the targets originally published in Defra's consultation paper last year. They are based on updated market data and the feedback received during the public consultation, which ended in November 2007.

The new overall recovery targets of 72% in 2008, 73% in 2009 and 74% in 2010 will ensure that we meet our 2008 EU Directive target of recycling at least 60% of our packaging waste. They will also contribute to meeting the ambitions outlined in the 2007 Waste Strategy for England.

To reflect current market factors and updated data on Great Britain's recycling performance for aluminium and glass, the increases in targets for aluminium and glass for 2008 are slightly smaller than those on which we consulted. They still represent an increase over the 2007 targets, and will rise steadily year-on-year. We are balancing these adjustments with higher than proposed overall recovery targets, to achieve a bigger CO2 reduction in total.

Over the next year, Defra will be working with the industry, Local Authorities, WRAP and others to develop a package of measures to increase aluminium recycling. Significant improvements in the collection and sorting arrangements are needed, particularly for beverage cans in the household and on-street waste streams. Aluminium is one of the Waste Strategy's priority materials, high-value and carbon-rich, so we have much to gain by enabling higher recycling rates.

Joan Ruddock, Minister for Waste, commented that "Reducing, recovering and recycling packaging is an important way in which business, Government and the consumer can work together to reduce greenhouse gases. These increased targets represent our commitment to drive up recycling in Great Britain and tackle dangerous climate change."

Note for editors

1. These targets were reached following feedback from the 'Consultation on recycling targets for packaging for 2008 and thereafter', 11th Oct - 30th Nov 2007 which can be found on the Defra website. They also reflect advice from the Advisory Committee on Packaging.

2. The table below shows the business recovery and recycling targets for Great Britain, which are the targets used by businesses to calculate their obligations for 2008 - 2010.

                        2008             2009              2010
      Paper                   67.5%            68.5%             69.5%
      Glass                   78.0%            80.0%             81.0%
      Aluminium               35.0%            38.0%             40.0%
      Steel                   68.0%            68.5%             69.0%
      Plastic                 26.0%            27.0%             29.0%
      Wood                    20.5%            21.0%             22.0%
      Recovery                72.0%            73.0%             74.0% 

The table below shows the estimated carbon savings of implementing these targets.

                      2008               2009           2010
      Paper                 3,484,799          3,571,789      3,660,171
      Glass                 962,678            1,005,135      1,036,018
      Aluminium             538,093            587,137        621,128
      Steel                 488,907            490,039        491,148
      Plastic               594,294            627,004        693,651
      Wood                  198,526            213,542        234,896
      Gen Recovery          1,824,996          1,855,744      1,898,863
      Overall Recovery      8,092,293          8,350,390      8,635,876 

3. These targets have been agreed by Government but are still subject to completion of Parliamentary procedure. A statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House will be laid shortly.

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1 Subject to completion of the Parliamentary process

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