Compliance scheme Valpak has said that it is likely to back the Government’s preferred option for the introduction of new packaging recycling targets for the period 2013 to 2017.
Valpak director of sales and marketing Duncan Simpson said that the company would consult with its members on the Valpak response to the packaging targets consultation, but based on previous experience he expected them to back the Government’s preferred option.
This would involve increased targets for steel, aluminium, plastics and overall packaging recovery as well as splitting glass into re-melt and other use such as aggregate targets.
He said: “We’ve always taken comments in from our customers and will do this on this occasion too. They always ask for higher targets over time as long as they can plan and manage the costs sensibly. Our customers prefer statutory targets as that is fair as people can be prosecuted if they do not comply, and everyone has the same responsibilities inside of one big tent.
“If you look at the targets set by the previous Labour Government, we thought they were challenging, and these new proposed targets fit into the same bracket. But we welcome the Government’s preferred option on this as our customers want higher targets.
“The problem we have had is that it is a free market and static targets has meant a lack of activity and a fall in prices. This period of static targets has led to a market that has been inactive or even gone backwards.”
