Dr. Lyndsey Dodds of WWF UK.
The foundation recently launched a new report in conjunction with Resource Association, which states that recycled materials must be made “more attractive.”
According to Envirotec Magazine, the report, launched in the Houses of Parliament last week, is based on recommendations from Eunomia, an independent environmental consultancy, and reviews ways in which the demand for recycled materials, rather than virgin resources, can be increased.
Arising out of the China waste import ban, as well as reported recycling mismanagement in the UK, the report recommends a system involving a fee on packaging and products, with a refund made to those demonstrably using secondary materials.
The report further suggests that improving the secondary materials market would be “a quick and effective step towards creating a circular economy.”
“Our oceans are choking on plastic, 90% of the world’s sea birds have fragments of plastic in their stomach. Despite the public outcry, more products are being made with virgin, or new, plastic than with recycled plastic,” Dr Lyndsey Dodd, WWF UK’s Head of Marine Policy explained. “A new system is needed – where a levy on all packaging is used to reward those using the most recycled material – to incentivise the use of recycled material and support the target announced in the budget for a minimum of 30 percent recycled plastic in products. Nature is on life support, and we must act now to save it.”
Eunomia Chairman Dominic Hogg added: “We believe that the introduction of this mechanism could significantly increase the use of recycled plastic, as well as creating jobs here at home, by ensuring materials collected in the UK for recycling are properly used as a resource. This is the kind of mechanism we hope the Treasury will be looking at – it has already indicated its interest in this area with the proposed tax on plastic packaging that contains less than 30 percent recycled material.”
The report was launched on the 20th November at the Parliamentary Reception for the Resource Association. Attendees included Jochen Behr, Head of Recycling at DS Smith Recycling, and Alex Sobel MP, the representative for Leeds North West constituency.
The CEO of Resource Association, Ray Georgeson, said: “All parts of the resources supply chain for too long have talked in general terms about the need to boost demand for recycled material and use demand-pull measures to develop the markets to assist in reaching higher recycling targets. This report now adds a real level of detail to this discussion with some much-needed fresh thinking. The Resource Association was delighted to collaborate with WWF-UK in commissioning this work from Eunomia as a contribution to the wider, detailed debate that is now needed.”
