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MP37038

MAPS RECYCLING AUGUST 1998

Overview

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The UK is about to enter into a new area of material recovery and recycling. The government has set targets for recycling of waste materials. By the year 2001 some 26 percent of all waste has to be recycled. This means a steep increase in recycling will take place in the near future.

A main problem for the UK is to move away from a tradition of low recycling and half-hearted environmental protection. In an Aylesford Newsprint report Britain is named the ‘poor recycling man in Europe’. A legacy like this requires a synergetic effort from government, local authorities, industry and end consumers alike to grasp the chance to modernise recycling activities and to bring them into line with those of other industrial nations.

The UK has to deal with over 414 million tons of waste arising each year. Such quantities have considerable effects on the environments, health and financial capacities. Landfill Tax charges the disposal of waste on landfill sites, which is the UK’s most popular way of waste treatment.

Recycling is one aspect of modern waste management and integrated in the waste hierarchy. Recycling is preceded by waste minimisation and re-use of products and materials in this hierarchy.

Agricultural waste comprises the biggest source of waste with arising of 80 million tons per year, followed by demolition and construction waste with 70 million tons per year. Municipal waste accounts for 29 million tons per year and consists of commercial and household waste.

The most influential factor in the recent development of increased recycling activities are a number of legations. These include the Producer Responsibility Obligations, the EU Landfill Directive, the Environmental Protection Act and the Duty of Care. The UK’s waste disposal rate per year is 90 percent, which is considerably higher than the EU average of 58 percent.

At present, due to the lack of enforcement of existing environmental legislation, the environmental service industry reports a loss of £2.1bn per year. In addition, the industry reports a level of uncertainty and inconsistent application of regulations and standards.

The Packaging Waste Directive requires companies with a certain amount of packaging waste and a minimum turnover to recover and recycle some amount of waste. The overall recovery rate up to the year 1999 is 38 percent and will increase thereafter. A number of industries have to meet quotas as their contribution to meet this target. Raw materials manufacturers are responsible for 6 percent of the target, converters for 11 percent, packer-fillers for 36 percent, and retailers for 47 percent.

A number of compliance schemes have been set up, in order to facilitate the recovery and recycling obligations of industries and businesses. These are financed by members and are non-profit organisations. Such compliance schemes do not exist for recovery and recycling of domestic waste arising.

The global market for the environmental and recycling industries is estimated to be worth £225bn, with an annual growth rate of 5 percent. This massive market could be accessed by the UK industries, providing they meet high international standards of service and quality.

Paper is the most recycled material in the UK, accounting for 38 percent of total recycling. Steel accounts for 31 percent, glass for 22 percent, aluminium for 20 percent and plastics for 5.7 percent. The different recycling materials have different requirements for recycling and processing. Steel, glass and aluminium can be recycled endlessly, but paper for example requires added virgin materials.

On the whole, the use of recycled materials lowers costs for energy and it reduces emissions and waste. An important aspect to make recycling more effective would be to separate different materials at the point of collection.

Private consumers show high levels of interest and support for recycling. 99 percent of the consumers even support more effective legislation to protect the environment. About two thirds of consumers think that the government and local authorities are not doing enough to promote recycling.

One of the strongest incentives to increase recycling amongst end consumers are kerbside collections, as operated in other European countries. These schemes collect recycled materials from the home and deliver them to either sorting centres or to processors.

The growth of recycling depends on activities by local authorities to increase the infrastructure of material recycling. A nationwide standard of implementation of existing legislation needs to be achieved as well, in order to achieve the same results throughout the country.

With the very high support of recycling by private households, more recycling points and material banks need to be installed. A step further would be to extend kerbside collection schemes.

Text © 1998 MAPS

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Last updated by Duncan Nottage 7th February 1999