UK should target aluminium and plastics recovery, says report

Capturing more aluminium and plastic packaging from households and away from home is the best way to boost UK recycling rates, according to a new report on packaging recovery.

The PackFlow group, which brings together packaging material production and recovery organisations, has updated its 2005 report on the flow of packaging in the UK.

Total packaging recycling is forecast to reach around 70% by 2012 but the report concluded the biggest opportunities lay in increasing plastics and aluminium collection.

Report author Valpak highlighted the potential for on-the-go recycling, which is set to be the fastest-growing area, although most of the increased tonnages will come via local authority collections.

Industry needs to support those collections to recover materials such as foils and mixed plastics that are not widely collected at the moment.

Valpak chief executive Steve Gough said: "The findings of the report are significant and provide direction to many involved in this sector in facing the problems involved in reducing waste and thinking of packaging as a resource to be reclaimed recovered and recycled."

The report also calls for an "ongoing, industry-wide 'positive packaging' campaign" to inform the public of packaging achievements, recycling investments and the benefits of packaging.

Bodies involved in the report include British Glass, Incpen, Corus, Wrap, Recoup and Alupro.

Alupro executive director Rick Hindley said: "For the aluminium sector, the report confirms our view that we must focus on boosting collections of aluminium cans consumed away from home and boost the capture rates of drinks cans, aerosols and foil collected at kerbside."