Plastics: Recycling

Mr. Mullin
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to require manufacturers of plastic containers to rationalise the types of plastic they use and to specify its type; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock
[holding answer 12 November 2007]: DEFRA has no plans to require manufacturers to rationalise the types of plastic they use, or make the marking of plastic packaging mandatory.

In relation to packaging, forcing producers to use specific materials would amount to a restriction of trade and would contravene the single market provisions in the EC Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. However, the Directive requires producers to minimise packaging, use recyclable materials and to take steps to ensure that these are recycled as far as possible once they have become waste. While virtually all plastic packaging is technically recyclable, in some cases this is not economically viable.

A European Commission Decision (97/129/EC) provides for numbering and abbreviations to identify the different packaging materials, including plastics. While the marking system is voluntary, where packaging is marked, producers are required to use the markings indicated in the Directive. We would encourage manufacturers to use these markings where possible, to aid the process of sorting and recycling of plastic packaging waste.