Page 58 - Plastics News September 2018

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UK Beverage companies publish plan to wipe out plastic waste by 2030

group of bottled water and soft drink manufacturers 6SULQJ *URXS 0RQWJRPHU\ :DWHUV 1HVWOp :DWHUV 8.
A have come up with a roadmap to eliminate plastic 6KHSOH\ 6SULQJ DQG :HQORFN 6SULQJ .LQYDUD &DUH\ JHQHUDO
packaging waste by 2030. Nine companies have set out manager at the Natural Hydration Council, said that while
their vision to create a production and distribution chain the council's members were committed to eliminating
where packaging will be made entirely from recycled plastic packaging waste the task is a "challenging" one.
or renewable materials and will be designed to be fully "It is our duty as responsible organisations to deliver
reusable or recyclable. The report, published today in our products to people in the most sustainable way
partnership with The Cambridge Institute for Sustainability possible. It needs to be easy for people to dispose of all
Leadership (CISL), urges manufacturers to produce at least SDFNDJLQJ UHVSRQVLEO\ DQG ZLWK WKH FRQÀGHQFH LW ZLOO
70 per cent of bottled water and soft drinks from recycled QRW JR WR ODQGÀOO ZDVWH RU ZRUVH HVFDSH LQWR WKH QDWXUDO
material by 2025. It also concludes that reducing reliance environment," she said. For the 2030 target to be met,
on natural materials and using more existing resources in manufacturers warned the government must implement
a closed loop system could boost the economy by creating the promised Deposit Return Scheme across England,
new jobs.But to achieve this goal, the report calls on the 6FRWODQG DQG :DOHV ZKLFK ZDV DQQRXQFHG HDUOLHU WKLV \HDU
government to create a consistent nationwide recycling )LJXUHV IURP 9DOSDN WKH 8. V HQYLURQPHQWDO FRPSOLDQFH
system and reinvest revenues from new policies into scheme, show that an average 26 per cent of soft drinks
recycling, sorting and reprocessing capacity. bottles are still not being recycled by British households.
7KH UHSRUW FRQFOXGHV WKDW D VLJQLÀFDQW VKLIW LQ FRQVXPHU
The government is due to publish a new waste and
resources strategy later this year, and has promised to behaviour and better labelling will be essential in boosting
streamline recycling systems and overhaul producer recycling targets. Tony Juniper, executive director for
DGYRFDF\ DQG FDPSDLJQV DW ::) 8. VDLG WKDW WR SURWHFW
UHVSRQVLELOLW\ UXOHV WR LPSURYH UHF\FOLQJ UDWHV ,Q WKH 8.
the environment from the effects of plastic waste "we
PRUH WKDQ ÀYH PLOOLRQ WRQQHV RI SODVWLF DUH XVHG HDFK
year of which 37 per cent are used to make packaging, must make an urgent transition to a circular, closed
according to the report. The British Soft Drinks Association loop economy".He welcomed the fact a group of drinks
previously reported that 72 per cent of soft drinks sold in companies set out their willingness to act and added that
"if everyone else rises to the challenges too, especially
WKH 8. DUH SDFNDJHG LQ SODVWLF ZLWK PRUH SODVWLF EHLQJ
used to ensure safe delivery. The report also states that governments, the solutions can quickly follow".
DQ HVWLPDWHG PLOOLRQ WRQQHV RI SODVWLF ÀOP IURP DOO
VHFWRUV HQG XS LQ ZDVWH LQ WKH 8. HYHU\ \HDU ,QQRYDWLRQ
in the delivery system is cited as one example of the way
in which businesses should adapt to reduce plastic waste.
The report also encourages research and development in
the use of bio-based and biodegradable materials and their
DELOLW\ WR ÀW LQWR H[LVWLQJ UHF\FOLQJ VWUHDPV

The report notes that it is not yet known whether totally
eliminating plastic packaging waste is achievable, but
stresses that the industry "needs to act now, before all of
these unknowns can be addressed" in order to set "a high-
OHYHO RI DPELWLRQ 7KH ÀQGLQJV DUH EDFNHG E\ /XFR]DGH
Ribena Suntory and members of the Natural Hydration
&RXQFLO ZKLFK LQFOXGH %UHFRQ 0LQHUDO :DWHUV 'DQRQH
:DWHUV 8. DQG ,UHODQG +DUURJDWH :DWHU %UDQGV +LJKODQG

Plastics News September 2018 58