The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is considering whether to amend the glass recycling targets for packaging.
The review comes after the publication of the ‘GlassFlow’ report by the Advisory Committee on Packaging (ACP), which found that glass amounts in the UK have been overestimated by some 350,000 tonnes a year.
The ACP has signaled that to reflect this, the government should decrease the business targets for glass packaging recycling from 81% to 77% of the obligated tonnage until 2017.
According to estimates based on current figures, the UK recycled a little less than the EU glass packaging recycling target of 60% throughout 2012.
The ACP argues that using this report’s revised estimate, the UK glass recycling rate in 2012 would have been around 68%, comfortably within the EU target.
If Defra decides to lower the 81% glass recycling target the sector will find it easier to meet its obligated tonnage and for the UK to meet EU targets.
