The Recycling Association

Heritage House, Vicar Lane, Daventry, NN11 4GD

Tel: +44 (0) 1327 703223 Fax: +44 (0) 1327 300612

Email: simon.ellin@iwppa.co.uk

Website:www.therecyclingassociation.com

Press release- EMBARGOED GMT 00.01 26 April 2018 to coincide with WRAP press release

THE RECYCLING ASSOCIATION WELCOMES UK PLASTICS PACT

Plastics recycling will be boosted by the announcement of the UK Plastics Pact, according to The Recycling Association.

Led by WRAP, the UK Plastics Pact has been developed by 42 major food and drink manufacturers and retailers and 15 other organisations including The Recycling Association.

The Recycling Association chief executive Simon Ellin said: "The UK Plastics Pact has the potential to transform plastics recycling. As part of our Quality First campaign, we have called on the supply chain to design packaging that is reusable or recyclable and we are pleased that these large manufacturers and retailers have signed up to do that by 2025.

"It is good to see efforts to tackle single-use plastics and that the waste hierarchy has been taken into consideration to encourage reuse and recycling. In particular, a requirement for an average of 30% recycled content in all plastic packaging will help to ensure markets for recyclable plastics are sustainable.

"One concern we have is that the pact allows for plastic packaging to be compostable, and we would hope that manufacturers and retailers will focus more on reuse and recycling of plastics. There is a danger that compostable plastic packaging will make it harder to sort and recycle plastics. We must there ensure that this pact creates the highest quality recycled plastic to make it possible to meet the 30% recycled content target."

For more information, contact: The Recycling Association chief executive Simon Ellin on 07970 549 536 or Adrienne Robins at Hanicke Robins Sanderson on 07855 643094 or Paul Sanderson at Hanicke Robins Sanderson on 0774 778 5980