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RECOUP conference tackles ‘Plastiphobia’
2019-10-07
From:Packaging News

National plastics recycling charity RECOUP’s annual conference debated the future of plastics recycling and so-called ‘Plastiphobia’.



Over 500 delegates from across the plastics recycling value chain were at the conference in Peterborough, to debate the use of plastics within the agricultural and construction industries, as well as consumer perceptions and technological advances in plastic packaging sorting and recycling.

The common theme from the day was that the plastics industry as a whole are keen to make plastic recycling easier, more consistent and simple.

Stuart Foster, chief executive of RECOUP, said making changes to such a wide and varied industry is like trying to ‘turn a super-tanker’, however these changes are being worked on by the whole industry.

He added that competition is being put to one side to find a common approach and having almost 500 people from all areas talking plastic recycling was a huge testament to this intention.

“This has been an exceptional year for plastics, resource and waste management,” said Foster. “The ongoing challenges and questions that face us all are many, this is matched by the fundamental shift in attitude towards improved long-term use of plastic resources and the development of circular economy models.”

He was optimistic that with further developments and delivery of the Resource and Waste Strategy together with ongoing genuine cross sector collaboration, the UK could be world leaders in resource management, recycling and environmental protection.

Hosted by Tom Heap, TV Presenter and BBC Radio 4’s ‘Costing the Earth’, asked that with all the fervor about plastic, is the public caring enough?

“Are they reacting and changing behaviours? Is their concern really carrying over into action? Or perhaps ‘plastiphobia’ is actually counterproductive. Is it really causing some perverse results?”

He said public pressure is important, but investment, policy, and invention make a big difference.

“We know opportunities and issues are moving at pace, and today promises to be a great day which will continue to challenge the status quo within the plastics resource and recycling space.” A cross industry panel of representatives from the Green Alliance, Danone, Viridor, Ecosurety, Waste Aid and the West London Waste Authority called for consistency, backed by scientific evidence and research.

They said this then needs to be backed up with a clear communication and engagement programme to restore the trust and bring transparency to consumers. RECOUP have already done a lot of work on citizen engagement and wholly endorse this view. Kate Geraghty, Dow Europe GmbH, agreed: “We have to fix plastic waste across the whole systems and that involves the entire value chain, including citizens if we are to regain public trust.”

Foster also said: “While consumer engagement seems to be at the centre of most successful recycling and antilittering models, more strategic funding support was needed in this space.”

He called again on both food and non-food retailers to donate 1p per bag from carrier bag levy funds for RECOUP to deliver the consumer campaigns on plastics recycling through the pledge2recycle plastics initiative.

He also emphasised the need for additional domestic reprocessing infrastructure, and also much better auditing and policing of plastics that are exported for recycling.

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