feature waste recycling
Collection Unsurprisingly, retailers and brands are keen to see consistent collections by local authorities across the UK. If packaging producers are to invest significant time and resources into designing more recyclable packaging, they want assurance that their designs will fit the recycling systems available.
Finding a viable way to mitigate costs will become increasingly important, especially for businesses set to incur costs under the proposed Deposit Return Schemes and Plastic Packaging Tax. Thankfully, in many cases, improving the sustainability of packaging will help to alleviate at least some of the financial hit these reforms will bring about.
The importance of data Valpak has been focusing on helping our members to understand the implications of EPR for some time and levels of readiness vary enormously. The first step for any business preparing to become EPR-ready is to work out the potential impact on its own costs and circumstances. Data collection is the first phase in designing
packaging to become EPR-ready. To help us streamline compliance and build an even more comprehensive set of packaging information, Valpak has developed the Product Data Hub. Instead of the traditional spreadsheet approach, the hub allows packaging suppliers to submit packaging weights and components online throughout the year. It gives retailers greater visibility on the status of submissions, and contains a dedicated EPR tab to collect relevant information. Valpak’s EPIC database – the largest in the UK – holds packaging data on 23 million SKUs. We are able to drill into the data to identify patterns and trends in packaging, then use this information to help brands to adapt packaging designs. EPIC shows that while electrical products tend
to be packaged in cardboard and plastic, the type of plastics used vary enormously. Some are recyclable; some are not. Packaging for a small item such as a pair of headphones, for example, may include a plastic tray, window, label, hook, sleeve, blister pack, hanger, a metal closure, and a paper or cardboard box, sleeve, tray or backing. Many of the types of plastic used are not
February 2021
currently recyclable. A 32” TV, which typically uses a smaller number of packaging components, is still likely to include non-recyclable plastic inserts. Widespread redesign is a challenging
prospect, but many have already started the process. For example, retailers which have signed up to the voluntary Plastic Pact agreement have cut the use of unnecessary plastic by 40 per cent and increased recycling by 107,000 tonnes. While data is essential for making choices on
packaging design, data alone cannot provide answers. To drive change at the speed and scale necessary, we also need the capability to manipulate data at high speed, to analyse supply chains and compare product lines to draw out the key insights and understandings. Producers might decide to compile a list of products that use coloured plastic, assess the suitability and financial implications of different options, and conduct market research to test consumer appetite for alternatives. Lifecycle analysis is crucial. Sometimes, it will
throw up unexpected results. For example, when we worked with Princes to move away from plastic wrapping around multipacks of baked beans, we did not expect cardboard to outperform plastic when it came to climate change. However, it did just that. A greater onus on data
can offer other unexpected benefits. In 2019, our customer reviews found 9,000 tonnes of over-reported material, which resulted in £80,000 in savings for producers. So, while costs will rise under the new EPR rules, those that take a robust approach to data may unearth an added bonus.
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Legislation on consistent collections would help local authorities and other collectors to accept the same materials. Ideally, it would also include funding for a national awareness campaign to help increase recycling rates. As we enter 2021, our industry edges closer to the most significant changes to packaging waste legislation in a generation. The environmental challenges are clearly mapped, but for businesses waiting for clarity on future reform, the path is less clear. However, working to become EPR-ready can help retailers to embrace the huge opportunity that this refreshingly ambitious policy initiative presents.
In-store take-back of WEEE Every year in the UK, the average household throws away 20 electrical items. Although the value of the rare metals used to make these products adds up to £370 million, many of them lie forgotten in garages or drawers across the country. Waste electrical and electronic equipment
(WEEE) is usually recycled through local council services. From 1 January, however, the system is changing and, for the first time, many electrical retailers will have to offer product take-back in store. Many retailers, while keen to do the right thing, are unsure on how to proceed.
Why is the system changing? Even though the 2005 WEEE legislation placed a requirement on retailers to take back customer products, 1,244 retailers took advantage of the Distributor Take-Back Scheme (DTS). The scheme funded local councils to collect WEEE on their behalf.
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