§ Mr. Andrew F. BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress is being made in recycling plastics in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. ForthThe United Kingdom plastics industry already recycles more than 95 per cent. of its in-house process scrap, and good progress is now being made in recycling used plastics such as agricultural and supermarket film, more than 150,000 tonnes being reprocessed last year. This figure is expected to increase in 1990 as newly installed plant comes fully on stream. A range of recent industry initiatives to recover and recycle post-consumer plastics waste, such as bottles, are also now beginning to have an impact. Methods of stimulating plastics recycling are being considered in the light of international practice by a working party set up by the recycling advisory group. Its recommendations will help inform the Government's consideration of policy options in the context of the forthcoming White Paper on the environment.