§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the implications of the EU Packaging Waste Directive for doorstep milk deliveries and the use of milk bottles. [8338]
§ Mr. MeacherThe EC Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste 94/62/EC, requires certain recovery and recycling targets to be met and encourages reuse of packaging. This includes drinks containers such as milk bottles. The UK Regulations implementing the Directive also encourage reuse by allowing obligated businesses to exclude from the calculation of their tonnage recovery and recycling obligation, tonnages of packaging that are being reused. Milk bottles are reused for between 10 and 40 trips, so this provision will apply to the proportion of milk bottles that are being reused.
We expect a proposal from the European Commission next month for new targets for 2006. We are not aware that the proposed revisions will in any way threaten the UK doorstep milk delivery service.