Simon Weston, the Director of Raw Materials at the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI) has been appointed to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) Advisory Committee on Packaging (ACP).
Comprising sector representatives of each element of the supply chain, the ACP brings together industry representatives to advise Defra on the development of its packaging reuse, recovery and recycling policy.
All members, other than the Chairman, participate on a voluntary basis.
Commenting on his appointment, Weston said: “I am delighted to have joined the ACP and look forward to contributing to the group. We are entering an interesting period for resource recovery and recycling and await to see what impact a new government and the revised EU Circular Economy Package will have upon strategy going forward.”
ACP for 2015
The ACP witnessed a change of personnel in January 2015 after Defra advertised for new members; it is currently chaired by environmental consultant Phil Conran.
Other members on the ACP include: Andrew Bird, Chair of the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC); Rebecca Cocking of British Glass; Rick Hindley from the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro); and Jonathan Short, formerly of ECOPlastics Recycling.
The committee members held their first meeting on 28 January 2015 where three task forces were set up.
- the First Task Force - Chaired by Andrew Bird, this group will consider how current packaging regulations could assist the UK in meeting the 2020 household waste recycling targets;
- the Second Task Force - Chaired by Adrian Hawkes of Valpak, this task force will explore how to make packaging recovery note (PRN) revenue flows more transparent; and
- the Third Task Force - Chaired by Phil Conran, will examine packaging related opportunities to complete the circle as part of the debate on the revised Circular Economy Package.
Find out more about the ACP.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.