Packaging Waste Regulations (Hansard, 29 January 1997)

§ Mr. Gummer

I am today laying before Parliament the draft Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations which are subject to affirmative resolution procedure.

These regulations are the outcome of a lengthy process of dialogue and consultation with business about the means by which the United Kingdom can achieve a more sustainable approach to the 8 million tonnes of packaging waste which it generates each year. Packaging is the largest recyclable element in the domestic waste stream and our goal is to double the amount which we are currently recovering. The Government's objective has been to find a policy framework within which the efficiency and innovation of the market can be allowed to function successfully to achieve this goal and these regulations reflect a successful partnership between Government and industry. I pay tribute to the numerous individuals and companies from all sectors of industry for their contribution to this process and in particular to the Advisory Committee on Packaging chaired by Sir Peter Parker which has helped in the preparation of these regulations. I am happy to agree the committee's proposal for its continuing review and I am placing copies of the advisory committee's recent recommendations in the Library.

The regulations are based on the shared producer responsibility approach agreed by industry on 15 December 1995. Draft regulations were published for consultation in July 1996 and I announced on 18 December 1996, Official Report, columns 614–16, the main modifications I proposed to make in the light of consultation. The regulations will, I believe, create a market incentive for businesses both to reduce packaging waste and find cost-effective ways of recycling or otherwise obtaining value from packaging waste. In particular, they provide for industry-led "compliance" schemes to be established to take on businesses' obligations for them, thus relieving them of much of the necessary administrative burden or for businesses to choose to comply with their obligations individually if they wish. The regulations also set down a staged approach to the obligations that businesses are required 223W to discharge and include a staged threshold for smaller businesses. The regulations will enable the UK to meet the recycling and recovery targets contained in the EC directive on packaging and packaging waste, 94/62/EC.

I propose to keep the regulations under review on an annual basis in the light of the progress which the UK is making towards the recycling and recovery targets. Effective measures will need to be in place to ensure that the UK is in a position to achieve and to continue to achieve the directive targets. However, I will want to consider whether these provisions remain fully necessary and appropriate in this form, while also taking account of the views of the advisory committee on the need for changes arising from the review which it will complete in 1998. A further statement will be made about implementation of other aspects of the packaging directive.