§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to encourage a national plastics recycling scheme. [12491]
§ Mr. Clappison[holding answer 27 January 1997]: The Government strongly support the efforts of the plastics industry on recycling. A number of organisations have been set up to increase the amount of plastic waste recovered from a number of sectors. For example, a national industry organization, Recoup, was set up in 1989. It has the support of over 80 companies, including major plastics producers, containers manufacturers, soft drinks and household product suppliers, retailers and recyclers. Recoup works closely with local authorities to develop plastics recycling facilities. It estimates that over the last year more than 110 million plastic bottles—5,500 tonnes—were recovered. The material was collected from over 165 local authorities, which now offer collection facilities for plastic bottles. Other useful work on recycling is being done by the save-a-cup scheme, the Farm Films Group, the Polystyrene Recycling Association, and by ICER (electronic equipment). We encourage all companies in the plastics industry to back such organisations.
The plastics industry has also set up its own materials organisation—Valuplast—to co-ordinate its activities in response to the obligations placed on the whole packaging chain as a result of the recovery and recycling targets in the EC packaging and packaging waste regulations.