NEWS | Industry Updates


Cup recycling – the latest


As part of the Department for the Environment & Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) consultations, it has outlined a Mandatory Cup Takeback scheme which includes vending. As part of the scheme, all sellers of filled, fibre-based composite


cups, that employ 10 or more employees will be required to have arrangements in place to collect and recycle used cups, report to the regulators the tonnage they have placed on the market, plus the tonnage they have collected and sent for recycling. Set to help with this is The Vending & Automated Retail Association’s The National Cup Recycling Scheme (NCRS), considered to be the UK’s largest paper cup recycling scheme. It brings together major retailers, waste management companies


and UK paper mills all with the shared aim of growing the infrastructure needed to increase the number of paper cups being collected and recycled in the UK. After discussions with NCRS, AVA operators will be able to ‘plug in’ to this scheme. With increased pressure on the vending industry, proposals for


cup levies in Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland; legislation in place for a 20c ‘single use disposable cup’ levy in Ireland, plus Defra’s Mandatory Cup Takeback scheme – come and see how all paper cups can be collected and recycled.


To help operators navigate the requirements for Deposit Return Schemes to run in all home nations and Ireland, The AVA has arranged special access to one of the most advanced production and reprocessing sites in the UK, James Cropper, in the picturesque setting of the Lake District. The event will be held on 5th April 2023.


DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME REACTION & NEXT STEPS Defra has also launched its consultation response for a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The AVA broadly supports the government’s proposals and is committed to promoting recovery, recycling and re-use, but it has expressed concerns about the schemes’ functionality across the nations and the labelling requirements for companies operating across national borders. The body said a consistent approach across the whole of the UK


would be the most practical and cost effective, and the simplest to communicate to consumers, rather than the current fragmented approach. A consultation on the legislative framework for the DRS is expected sometime this autumn.


By kickstarting the UK’s circular economy for drinks containers the


DRS will help consumers play their part in ensuring the containers they buy are returned for recycling and we look forward to working with officials to help guarantee its success. However, there are still some hurdles to clear in order to make the scheme a success, the BDSA said in a statement. The BDSA said further – firstly, whilst this is an environmental scheme, it needs to be treated as more than just an anti-littering initiative if we are to unlock its true potential. If designed properly, the DRS can successfully kickstart the UK’s circular economy for packaging, giving producers access to high quality recycled materials and creating vital investment in UK recycling facilities. The scheme needs to be interoperable throughout England, Wales,


BSDA welcomes Defra DRS commitment


The British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) has welcomed Defra’s commitment to introducing an all-in can/PET deposit return scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.


8 | vendinginternational-online.com


Northern Ireland and Scotland, which is launching its own DRS in August 2023. A lack of alignment across DRS systems within the UK will risk the success of the UK’s circular economy whilst creating unnecessary barriers to UK markets, potentially impacting consumer choice. Finally, to have the best chance of achieving its goals of reducing


littering and increasing recycling, the scheme must follow best-practice international examples, be industry-led, and function alongside other ongoing packaging measures including the Plastic Packaging Tax, Extended Producer Responsibility, and consistent household collections.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28