Partners of the Plastics 2020 Challenge, a campaign that aims to help double the recycling rate of plastic packaging in the UK by 2020, have announced that they intend to adopt the work programme known as PIRAP (Plastics Industry Recycling Action Plan) and develop it further into a ‘detailed action plan to help industry move toward the 2017 plastics recycling targets required by UK government’ (57 per cent).

Originally formed to identify actions required to improve plastic recycling in the UK, PIRAP includes details of where improvements could be made to enhance collection rates, adopt best-in-class collection methods, optimise sorting infrastructure and develop end markets

However, Plastics 2020 partners the British Plastics Federation (BPF), the Packaging and Film Association (PAFA), and Plastics Europe will now seek support from stakeholders, including waste management companies and local authorities to turn the framework document into ‘specific actions to help secure the increased tonnages that will be needed if plastics recycling is to be elevated to the requisite level in the UK’.

The partners added that in order to reach the UK’s ‘challenging’ recycling targets for 2017 (and higher European targets – if EC proposals are adopted), there needs to be ‘urgent action’ taken by stakeholders to provide a ‘step change’ in the way plastic packaging is recycled.

In a joint statement, the partners said: ‘The UK has made tremendous progress in recent years and the Plastics 2020 Consortium believe that if we can further improve infrastructure links and engender closer working relationships between all the relevant stakeholders, a vibrant recycling business sector, producing high-quality products and additional jobs, will continue to develop within the UK.’

The partners also voiced their support for the Pledge 4 Plastics campaign that was launched earlier this week.

Find out more about the Plastics 2020 Challenge.