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Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Answer

Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the impact of the Producers' Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 on the recovery and recycling infrastructure in the last three years. [141180] Mr. Mullin: In the three full years in which the recovery and recycling obligations under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 have been in effect, the recovery and recycling infrastructure in the UK has had to develop to deal with increasing amounts of reprocessing in order to meet interim targets under the Regulations. The following table shows the interim targets in the packaging Regulations, the tonnage of packaging waste estimated to flow into the waste stream in each of the three years, and the amounts of packaging waste recovered and recycled. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1998 1999 2000 Targets (recovery and 38 43 45 recycling)--percentage 7 10 13 Tonnage in waste stream-- million 10.2 9.2 9.2 tonnes Recovery (recycling)-- tonnes 3,338,705 3,497,647 {1}2,577,982 (2,890,351) (3,006,342) -- _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Up to end September 2000 only In 2001, the tonnage of packaging flowing into the UK waste stream is estimated at 9.3 million tonnes, 50 per cent. of which must be recovered if the Directive targets are to be met. The UK recovery and recycling infrastructure will therefore have to deliver some 4.65 million tonnes of packaging waste recovery next year.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

357 c793W; 141180

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Recycling Packaging Standards Waste disposal Waste

Legislation

Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk