§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce provisions to establish legally enforceable targets for the avoidance, minimisation and recycling of packaging waste.
§ Mr. AtkinsWe believe that the approach which underlies our producer responsibility initiative for 105W packaging waste will enable industry to devise the most cost-effective and flexible means of securing our environmental objectives, including the recovery of between 50 and 75 per cent. of all packaging waste by the year 2000. We are awaiting further advice from industry on how the plan which it has drawn up can best be implemented.
We will consider legislating to meet our objectives if industry can demonstrate that a purely voluntary approach will not succeed or if it is necessary to fulfil our obligations under the proposed EC directive on packaging and packaging waste.