New label system recommended to improve packaging recycling rates
Wednesday, October 10, 2018 - 10:06:24
The Government is in the process of assessing a new proposal made by representatives of the recycling sector. It has been suggested that changes to the way in which food packaging is labelled should be made to ensure that materials are correctly separated and sorted by consumers before kerbside collection.
The Telegraph reports that the idea is to introduce a traffic light-style system which would help people to identify the difference between the types of packaging they encounter and thus avoid confusion while increasing sustainability.
This scheme has been suggested because, at present, there are often misunderstandings with regard to which materials are recyclable and which cannot currently be processed. Used cling film is a good example of this, since it is recycled by under a tenth of local councils around the country, yet is regularly put out for collection by many households nationally.
The traffic light labelling solution would also go hand in hand with a numerical system which would further narrow down the nature of the material and provide a clear indication as to which type of bin would accept it for processing.
Green would show widely recycled materials, amber would indicate packaging that is recyclable yet not currently collected in every area, while red would highlight a material that cannot be recycled whatsoever and should, therefore, go in with general waste.
Experts accept that there is a degree of fragmentation in the recycling infrastructure of the UK which needs to be overcome, with this fresh approach to labelling seen as a sensible option for the future.
It is now down to politicians to decide whether or not this is the best route to take, or whether a different course of action is necessary to improve recycling rates and accuracy.
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