Concerns raised by aluminium packaging sector despite targets being met

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The Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) has said that it is pleased that the aluminium packaging sector has surpassed its recycling goal for 2013.

With the Q4/2013 PRN statistics now published, the aluminium sector recovered 70,788 tonnes of aluminium, which was an increase of 7,928 tonnes or 12.6 per cent on 2012.

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As a result, it is confident of meeting the 46 per cent aluminium packaging target for 2014.

However, despite achieving the 2013 goal, lower Q4 figures of 13,981 against an average 18,935 tonnes for the first three quarters of the year indicates, according to Alupro, that some reprocessors or exporters are choosing not to report tonnage figures. It believes that this is a result of receiving less than £5 per tonne PRN value, which it says does not provide a significant enough incentive once targets have been met.

Alupro is also concerned that the low Q4 PRN value, which has already lead directly to a fall in the number of reprocessors/exporters choosing to become accredited in 2014 means that a significant volume of aluminium packaging which is collected for recycling will not be counted towards the 2014 recycling rate.

It says that the PRN system is demonstrating the achievement of targets, but is failing as a mechanism to measure ‘true’ recycling performance.

Alupro executive director Rick Hindley said: “The aluminium packaging industry is delighted that it has exceeded its target for 2013 as it supports the efforts the sector is undertaking to ensure that this valuable material is recovered.

“Last year’s success is a good indicator that 2014’s higher target can be met, or even exceeded, which is great news for the sector, the environment and for the many campaigns and programmes Alupro runs that encourages the recycling of aluminium.

“The Q4 figures, however, should be of concern, showing the PRN measurement system needs examining if it is to work in encouraging reprocessors and exporters to report their tonnage figures, especially if future and ever higher recycling targets are to be met. The system is ‘malfunctioning’ as companies producing and placing packaging onto the market are legally obligated to be part of the system, but recyclers and exporters of packaging are not.”