WRAP and Valpak are going to work together on two new projects that will review existing estimates of market flows and recycling levels for plastic and metal packaging in the UK.
The MetalFlow 2014 project will review estimates of metal packaging (steel and aluminium) placed on the market in the UK, with separate assessments of the amount of recycling and reprocessing.
While the PlasticFlow 2014 project will review estimates of the amount of plastic packaging placed on the market.
The work is being undertaken to improve market transparency and information on plastic and metal packaging recovery and recycling in the UK. It also seek to identify and evaluate possible risks to UK compliance this year and in subsequent years.
Commissioned by Defra, the projects will be led jointly by WRAP and Valpak. They will work with industry as well as trade bodies and stakeholder groups such as the Advisory Committee on Packaging and the Environment Agency.
WRAP director Marcus Gover said: “Data is key to achieving clarity. We need the support and input from the industry, and ask them to share their data so that these projects can provide an unbiased and authoritative analysis of the metal and plastic packaging markets.
“Once complete, these projects will provide a sound basis for decisions that could enable increased recovery and recycling of packaging in the UK.”
Valpak chief executive Steve Gough added: “We felt that this work was of sufficient importance to commit time and resource to the project. We also believe that it must engage the support of key stakeholders, to whom this information is essential, in terms of planning for cost effective UK compliance, identifying any barriers to more effective collection and recycling and ensuring that the UK is best placed to comply with EU targets and to do so at lowest cost to industry.”
