The Recycling Association (RA) has released its 2018 Quality First Report, which calls for a simpler approach to packaging.
As PCL Direct reveals, the Association is calling for “simplified packaging design, materials and collections” in order to “improve quality and make the UK’s recycling industry more competitive.”
The report examines ways in which quality can be improved and contamination reduced “as domestic recyclers and overseas recyclers such as China demand higher quality input material.”
The report also urges retailers and manufacturers to adhere to an approved list of packaging materials, following in the footsteps of Tesco, which has already prepared an approved list of its own.
RA chief executive Simon Ellin said:
“Never before has the quality of recycled materials, processes and infrastructure been so heavily scrutinised – both at home and abroad, and by those in industry and by the general public.
“We are currently in an unprecedented time when quality is centre stage. China continues to prioritise only the highest quality of materials with a tough inspection regime, while other Asian countries are also implementing their own bans on imports of recyclable materials, or at least further restrictions.
“Where we still can send material, we have got to ensure it is a high-quality commodity and not a waste. But we also need to recognise that UK recyclers want quality material too.
“We need to ensure that decisions made in the short- and medium-term, by the Government, by manufacturers, by authorities, by the public and by the industry all have quality at their centre.”
