The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said that it is “minded” to change the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 to extend the definition of recycling by re-melt.
In response to its recent consultation on packaging recycling targets, Defra received a number of representations on the proposal to split the recycling targets on glass.
In general, most respondents supported the principle of promoting uses of cullet that are more environmentally beneficial, but it was questioned as to whether bottle to bottle recycling was the only way to ensure there was a benefit from recycling glass.
Other uses such as glass fibre was put forward, and while no delivering as much of a carbon benefit as closed loop recycling, was still environmentally beneficial compared to aggregate use.
Previously, Defra has proposed that the definition of recycling by re-melt should be: “The recycling of waste glass packaging or packaging materials for the purposes of use in packaging or packaging materials.”
But now it is proposing a definition of: “The recycling of waste glass packaging or packaging materials using a method that melts the glass before it is re-formed into a product.”
It is seeking comments on this before 16 May 2012.
