Currently, the United Kingdom is in the middle of the pack of Europe when it comes to recycling. This may all be about to change as a recent announcement by Environment Minister Dan Norris revealed a plan to set new packaging recycling targets over the next few months that will launch the United Kingdom into the upper echelon of European recycling.
Some in the retail sector are claiming that Norris’ plans are misplaced and that far more emphasis should be put on food waste, which actually contributes more to landfills than packaging.
Currently, the United Kingdom is recycling about sixty percent of its packaging but Environment Minister Dan Norris says this number needs to be much higher if the United Kingdom is to jump into the champion’s league of European recycling. Mr. Norris was speaking at a Packaging and Product Resource Efficiency conference in London yesterday when he said that new targets needed to be established over the next few months to launch the United Kingdom into the upper crust of Europe when it comes to recycling.
The new targets will be set for the years 2011-2012 and Dan Norris says that the new target should be to recycle at least seventy five percent of all packaging. Mr. Norris also said that he wanted to see more schemes and action from the producers of packaging so that less is produced in the first place. Several retailers spoke up to remind the group that food waste often contributes three times more waste to landfills than does packaging and that new targets needed to address this problem as well.
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