Waste Statistics

Packaging waste - producer responsibility regimes

The UK has a statutory producer responsibility regime for packaging. This places a legal obligation on businesses which make or use packaging (like raw materials manufacturers, converters, packer/fillers and sellers) to ensure that a proportion of the packaging they place on the market is recovered and recycled.

UK packaging waste recovery and recycling targets for 2013 to 2017

On 21 March 2012, as part of the Budget, new packaging targets for 2013 to 2017 were announced. These reflected the preferred option based on responses received from our consultation.
The targets apply to businesses under the Producer Responsibility Regulations.
They will ensure that the UK continues to meet EU Directive targets over the next 5 years.

Material	2012 (%)	2013 (%)	2014 (%)	2015 (%)	2016 (%)	2017 (%)
Paper/card	69.5	69.5	69.5	69.5	69.5	69.5
Glass	81	81	81	81	81	81
Aluminium	40	43	46	49	52	55
Steel	71	72	73	74	75	76
Plastic	32	37	42	47	52	57
Wood	22	22	22	22	22	22
Total recovery	74	75	76	77	78	79
Of which recycling	68.1	69	69.9	70.8	71.8	72.7

As these targets only apply to obligated businesses, the overall level of recycling and recovery will be lower.
From 2013, there will also be split targets for glass. The targets for individual businesses with an obligation in glass will be:

	2013 (%)	2014 (%)	2015 (%)	2016 (%)	2017 (%)
Proportion of glass that must come from remelt	63	63	63	64	64

Progress so far

In 2011 the UK disposed of an estimated 10.8 million tonnes of packaging waste, of which around 67% was recovered. In 1998 only 27% of packaging waste was recovered.

2011 recovery and recycling achievement data

	Total packaging waste arising (tonnes)	Total recovered/recyled (tonnes)	EU Target (%)	Recovery/recycling rate (%)
Paper	3,817,860	3,232,461	60	84.8
Paper composting		6,727
Glass	2,739,989	1,751,852	60	63.9
Aluminium	160,877	73,683		45.8
Steel	648,740	373,714		57.6
Metal		447,397	50	55.3
Plastic	2,515,809	609,910	22.5	24.2
Wood composting		442
Wood	1,023,939	600,276	15	58.7
Other	22,443
Total recycling		6,649,065	55	60.8
Energy from Waste		685,612
Total Recovery	10,929,657	6,641,896	60	67.1

Source: gov.uk