The British Plastics Federation (BPF), the trade association for the UK Plastic Industry, has released a plan to make 100% of plastic packaging reused, recycled or recovered.
The intention forms part of a document, Plastics: A Vision for a Circular Economy, which aims to drive innovation and enhance UK recycling rates.
BPF director general Philip Law said as an industry, it seeks to play its part in reducing plastic waste, leaving the environment in a better place for generations to come.
“Our ambition is to agree upon industry-standard traffic light systems and best practice design tools that can be used by manufacturers to advise brands and retailers on the recyclability and sustainability of their products,” Law said.
The BPF said that it wants all plastic packaging and single-use items re-used, recycled and/or recovered by 2030 and various brands as well as retailers have already committed to use only reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025.
The BPF and Plastics Europe with the support of The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) are implementing the Plastics Industry Recycing Action Plan (PIRAP) to help meet the UK’s plastic packaging recycling target of 57% by 2020.
The trade association added that it is consulting with members, brands and retailers and has already proposed extending and revising the existing packaging recovery note (PRN) system.
The BPF is of the view that the current PRN system should be expanded to include plastic items that are not packaging products but are products used in combination with food and drink consumed on-the-go, like cutlery or straws.
BPF said it will continue to invest in innovation and work with government to make it easier for consumers to consistently recycle plastic products wherever they live in the UK.
Established in 1933 the BPF has more than 500 members across the plastics industry supply chain.
