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New packaging waste recycling targets set

19 February 2008

Packaging waste recovery and recycling targets will increase from this year, the government has announced.

Defra said the new targets would save over eight million tonnes of CO2 from being sent into the atmosphere.

Over the following two years, there will be further saving of 258,097 tonnes of CO2 in 2009 and then an additional 285,436 tonnes in 2010, Defra forecasts.

The targets are a revision of those originally published in Defra's consultation paper last year.

Overall recovery targets are 72 per cent in 2008, 73 per cent in 2009 and 74 per cent in 2010.

Defra said the new targets would help the UK meet 2008 EU directive recycling targets of at least 60 per cent of packaging waste.

Joan Ruddock, minister for waste, said: "Reducing, recovering and recycling packaging is an important way in which business, government and the consumer can work together to reduce greenhouse gases.

"These increased targets represent our commitment to drive up recycling in Great Britain and tackle dangerous climate change."

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