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Recycling
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of mandatory deposits on containers. [14528]
Angela Eagle: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 were introduced earlier this year to implement the requirements of Directive 94/62/EC on Packaging and Packaging Waste, including the achievement of the recovery and recycling targets it sets down. Based on the "polluter pays" principle, the UK Regulations therefore place obligations on producers of packaging waste to ensure the recovery and recycling of a proportion of the UK's packaging waste to meet a minimum recovery target (including recycling) of 50 per cent. and minimum recycling targets for each material of 15 per cent. by 2001.
Deposit and return systems are one means by which producers of packaging can ensure access to reusable or recoverable packaging in order to discharge their obligations under the Regulations. However, the Government has no plans to make this mandatory.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent assessment he has made of the net environmental impact of using new as against recycled paper. [14532]
Angela Eagle:
There is a substantial amount of research into this issue. We shall be assessing the results of this research in due course.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what discussions he has had with (a) manufacturer and (b) retailers to encourage the reuse of containers; [14533]
Angela Eagle:
Since 1993, there have been extensive discussions with the packaging industry and with businesses using packaging to devise a system for achieving higher levels of recovery and recycling of packaging waste.
In July 1993 the previous Government launched their Producer Responsibility challenge to industry to find ways of increasing the amount of waste being recovered in the UK. Throughout 1995, the then Department of the Environment consulted widely on seven industry options for the form of a legal obligation on businesses to recover and recycle packaging waste. After much debate, the former Government accepted that the shared approach put forward in the industry agreement of 15 December 1995 was the option that attracted the broadest industry consensus. Following consultation between July and September 1996, the then Secretary of State for the Environment--right hon. Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer)--laid draft Regulations before Parliament, and on 6 March 1997 the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 came into force.
Under these Regulations, businesses are required to recover and recycle specified tonnages of packaging waste based on the amount of packaging handled by the business
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in the previous calendar year. Businesses can meet their obligations on their own or by joining a business-led compliance scheme and six compliance schemes have so far been registered with the Environment Agencies to help businesses meet their obligations.
The Regulations place three main obligations on certain businesses which manufacture packaging raw materials, convert materials into packaging, fill packaging with goods or sell packaging. Importers are also obliged. Thus, retailing businesses, including burger retailers, will be required to assess the tonnage of packaging handled by their business and calculate a tonnage obligation which they must recover; they must also recycle a minimum tonnage of each material. Because the obligation is tonnage-based, businesses have a strong cost incentive to minimise the amount of packaging that they use as well as to minimise the amount of packaging waste.
The Regulations include an incentive to re-use packaging by allowing businesses to leave out of the calculation of their obligations any tonnage of packaging that they are re-using. Packaging which is used for the first time will attract recovery and recycling obligations. By re-using containers, businesses will be able to reduce the tonnage of packaging waste which they are required to recover and recycle and thus also reduce their costs.
I recently announced that a Producer Responsibility Forum is being set up to provide a broader forum for those who are affected by the Regulations to come and discuss various issues of interest. This will being together, for example, business, local authorities, the waste industry and the Environment Agencies.
The Government have supported the case for periodic review of the Regulations. My right hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, West and Royton (Mr. Meacher) has therefore announced his proposals for a two staged review of the Regulations--Departmental News Release number 204. Further discussions will therefore be continuing with manufacturer, fillers, retailers and importers of packaging, as well as others affected by the Regulations.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what evaluation he has made of the length of journey by car from home to recycling point which negates the environmental benefit of recycling the average amount recycled per journey, assuming recycling to be the only purpose of each journey. [14536]
Angela Eagle:
Circumstances affecting the degree of environmental benefit from recycling vary throughout the country. Determining the length of journey which negates this effect is therefore an extremely complex matter. Any average figure given would almost certainly be incorrect for any one particular situation.
There have been a number of studies into this question that have employed Life Cycle Analysis and Economic Valuation techniques. One such study from Coopers and Lybrand, for example, found that on average a 10 per cent. increase in the distance of a car journey to the bring site reduced the environmental benefits of recycling by 0.7 per cent. However, the number of assumptions made to arrive at this conclusion are considerable.
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The Government are keen to encourage the development of a network of recycling points or kerbside collection schemes such that special car journeys are rendered unnecessary. The target in Making Waste Work is that there should be easily accessible recycling facilities for 80 per cent. of households by 2000.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the percentages of (a) glass, (b) paper, (c) aluminium cans and (d) steel cans recycled in each European Union country for each year from 1986 to date. [14537]
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Angela Eagle:
Figures for paper and glass from 1986 to 1995, from the OECD Environmental Data Report, 1997 are set out in the attached tables. However, definitions may vary from one country to another and the figures may not be directly comparable. In particular, the recycling rates may be based on total amounts of waste produced, rather than total apparent consumption.
Published figures for aluminium and steel cans are not readily available.
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(2) what discussions he had with burger retailers in respect of the environmental impact caused by burger containers. [14534]
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