The UK plastics industry has called the government’s increasing plastic recycling targets unrealistic.

The targets, released in December 2011, will increase from their current 32 per cent to reach 57 per cent by 2017, and will also include targets to double local collection of plastic waste in five years.

Criticisms from the plastics industry include a belief that the targets are unachievable and put too much responsibility on plastics producers without enabling local councils to step up their efforts as well.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has also revised its UK recycling estimates in order to reflect decreasing, rather than increasing, recycling capacity. This may be exacerbated by weakening Asian markets, which are less and less able to absorb waste material being exported from the UK, therefore hurting the UK’s ability to meet recycling targets.

Coupled with the financial struggle faced by many local councils, the UK plastics industry is arguing that new targets are out of reach.

"In answer to recent parliamentary questions, the government continues to say that the onus is on plastic producers to ensure that enough material is collected, but in reality it is local councils that control collection", said Barry Turner, CEO of the Packaging and Film Association (PAFA).

"The fact is that, in the absence of resource-based recycling targets, there is no incentive for councils to invest in collection services - even less so when their budgets are already stretched to the limit."

Turner’s comments refer to recent statements made by Defra minister Richard Benyon, who – in response to written questions from Sir Tony Cunningham MP – said:

"The impact assessment which accompanied the consultation on recovery and recycling targets for packaging waste for 2013-17 estimated that an additional 550 kilotonnes of plastic will need to be collected and recycled by 2017 to meet the new targets.

"There are no targets on local authorities for the collection of packaging waste. It is for producers to make suitable arrangements, working with waste collectors, to ensure that sufficient material is collected and recycled for them to meet their obligations.”

Responding to Benyon’s statements, Jan-Erik Johansson of Plastics Europe said:

"Ever since we launched Plastics 2020 Challenge [a campaign to divert plastic from landfill] back in 2009 we have endeavoured to facilitate and promote a sound development for UK plastics waste management by working in partnership with the value chain. After the budget we have - so far successfully - managed to meet with the Waste Minister to make clear to him what needs to happen.

"To us it is clear without a joined up approach we cannot reach the target, and - like Minister Benyon - to say the obligated companies must fix it is showing lack of sense of reality."

Philip Law, Public and Industrial Affairs Director of the British Plastics Federation (BPF), also lambasted the targets, saying:

"The result of this ill thought out and fragmented approach will be that the companies obligated under these targets will be left to foot the bill for recycling that can't be delivered. This is a no-win for everybody including the government who will have to explain their failure in the future."

The UK plastics recycling industry, which includes companies such as PAFA, BPF and Plastics Europe, is comprised of more than 5,000 businesses which combined represent more than 186,000 employees across the country.