PKN Packaging News’ Post

BLOG 📝: In the wake of cups being omitted from the UK’s draft packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, it's important to spotlight the ongoing challenges and strides in cup recycling 🥤♻️. Despite significant progress through awareness and brand initiatives, the UK still faces a stark reality: only 2.8% of single-use cups were recycled in 2019, out of the half a million discarded daily. The National Cup Recycling Scheme has incentivised waste collection and transformed cups into valuable products. Yet, the exclusion of cups from the EPR draft necessitates further discussion and potential dedicated legislation ⚖️. This pivotal moment calls for innovative solutions to support recycling rates and mitigate the environmental and financial impacts on local authorities. Read National Cup Recycling Manager, Hannah Osman's blog 🔗 https://okt.to/k0vyJg via LARAC online. #Recycling #Sustainability #EPR #CupRecycling #CupLegislation #ExtendedProducerResponsibility #DraftEPRregulations #LocalAuthorityWasteManagement #LocalAuthorities

CCL Label has expanded its range of EcoFloat shrink sleeves designed to enhance recycling in PET, HDPE, and PP waste streams. These sleeves include high-shrink versions for complex bottle shapes, a thinner 45-micron variant for material efficiency, and EcoFloat WHITE for light-sensitive products like dairy. EcoFloat sleeves are engineered to separate from PET flakes during recycling, promoting cleaner PET for reuse. Endorsed by recycling organizations, these innovations aim to improve recycling rates and support a circular economy by providing alternatives to less recyclable materials like PET-G and PVC. See more: https://brnw.ch/21wLWF9 #EcoFloat #SustainablePackaging #RecyclingInnovation #ShrinkSleeves #CircularEconomy

Did you know that the average EU citizen discards more than 190kg (419 lbs) of wrappers, boxes, bottles, cartons and cans each year? The European Parliament recently passed new regulations on plastic packaging and waste in member states. The legislation sets binding targets for reuse, collection and recycling of packaging materials and mandates that all packaging be fully recyclable by 2030. Learn more about how Freepoint Eco-Systems is supporting the push towards more efficient recycling here: https://lnkd.in/eqBTknRf #PPWR #sustainablepackaging #plasticrecycling #netzerotransition  

Really pleased to see the traction that Polytag Limited is getting with their product. They are a great bunch of people who want to actually make a difference in the product and material recycling space. I had a few chats with Alice Rackley and Phil Sutton FRSA last year, when the technology was focusing on plastic bottles with a view on #DDRS, and thought at the time that the concept was applicable to a much wider array of packaging given the impending policy impacts. Bravo to the retailers like Marks and Spencer, Ocado Retail Ltd and Aldi UK embracing this, and the producers that are adopting it too. The technology is different to standard #AI vision, and that is what makes it so powerful for lifecycle track and trace. What the Polytag product needs are for the #wastemanagement industry MRF operators to embrace it too. Not for financial gain, but because it is the right thing to do to solve an existing problem. It is a true step on the ladder of #socialvalue and #environmental responsibility. It is action and not words! I know some MRF operators are already working with this so Biffa, J&B Recycling Ltd, N+P Group B.V., SUEZ UK, Veolia UK and others, with our processing footprints why not do something that is bigger than ourselves and adopt (or expand) the use of this type of technology! The environment suffers because product supply chain doesn't work together, and waste management can't even work within itself! Yes, sometimes there are commercial reasons for lack of sharing and collaboration between businesses, but not always. Maybe we need the recycling tech companies to start knitting us together for the betterment of society rather than ourselves. I've spent nearly 20 years working on understanding waste and recycling data, the flow of waste or material around (and ultimately out of) the UK, and digging through patterns in waste production. Working at SUEZ UK, I have built an externally certified waste model that is apparently the largest waste dataset cleaned to an academic standard in the world. This takes advantage of Suez early adoption of on-board weight technology, with without it most of the revelations in waste production would not have been seen. I'd love to get hold of the Polytag data (sadly I probably never will), as I believe it is the next transformative evolution in data in waste management, and I can guarantee that producers, retailers, waste managers, and #Governments haven't even come close to realising it's true potential!

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Unveils "Simpler Recycling" for England ♻️ DEFRA has announced a significant policy shift designed to streamline household recycling practices in England. The "Simpler Recycling" initiative will be implemented nationwide by March 31st, 2026. This initiative introduces a standardised approach, mandating all local authorities to collect a wider range of recyclables in a single bin. This simplifies the process for residents, who will typically only need one bin for most recyclables, including: - Paper and card - Glass - Metal - Plastic "Simpler Recycling" aims to achieve several key objectives: - Increase recycling rates across England, contributing to national sustainability goals. - Enhance efficiency for both residents and local authorities. Residents will face less time sorting recyclables, while councils can streamline collection processes. - Align with existing environmental initiatives, complementing efforts like bans on single-use plastics and deposit return schemes. This policy shift represents a positive step towards a more sustainable future for England. By simplifying the recycling process and encouraging increased participation, "Simpler Recycling" has the potential to significantly reduce waste sent to landfills. #Recycling #Sustainability #Environment #UKGovernment #DEFRA #WasteReduction https://lnkd.in/e2kA2KAD

Simpler Recycling Update..... It is disappointing, especially to be announced during #compost awareness week, that Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have no plans to fund Local Authorities to provide caddy liners for household #foodwaste collections. BBIA provided evidence in our response to the #simplerrecycling consultation, that when caddy liners are used, food waste collection rates also increase. In addition, it is also disappointing to see that there is also no plans to mandate compostable caddy liners be used, where food waste (whether or not co-collected with garden waste) goes to in-vessel composting, where it’s important that liner types used are certified industrially compostable ones. We will continue to champion the use of #certified #compostable caddy liners and work with our membership on this issue over the coming months. https://lnkd.in/dzZiUpPe Vegware David Robert Newman FCIWM Tony Breton Paul Mines Andy Sweetman Iain Ferguson Emily Nichols

Functional labels supporting re-use in deposit systems and recycling. Read more of this featured article by Marika Knorr CCL Label on https://buff.ly/3X1uzJB #FunctionalLabels #DepositSystems #Recycling #SustainablePackaging #ReusablePackaging #CircularEconomy #EcoFriendly #LabelInnovation #WasteReduction #PackagingSolutions #GreenPackaging #Sustainability

The PPWR were originally designed to reduce packaging waste through recycling and reuse efforts. The rules establish reuse targets for almost all packaging, including pallets. https://lnkd.in/gpU9-dAs #WoodPallets #RecycledPallets #PalletManufacturing

NO REASON NOT TO ACT. When I was presenting the opportunities of #circulareconomy for ressource conservation and climate protection to an interested audience in a webinar by RECOUP a few weeks ago, I was actually a little shocked by hearing how little authorities and municipalities in the UK are claiming plant pots to be recycylable. This said, the UK horticulture is actually at the forefront of #circularity by wanting all growers to produce in recyclable, non-black pots. Thanks to Horticultural Trades Association and the UK retailers who most of them only accept recyclable plant pots since years. So why would a local authority in the UK not recycle recyclable products like taupe colored, non-carbon-black pots by manufacturers like Pöppelmann TEKU® or others? There is no reason not to change this. NOW. #poeppelmannblue More details and background? 👇

➡️ Latest news - Planning underway to introduce Simpler Recycling in Fareham Fareham Borough Council is beginning its preparations to introduce ‘Simpler Recycling’ to Fareham. Required under the Environment Act 2021, ‘Simpler Recycling’ aims to increase household recycling rates by making it possible for people across the country to recycle the same materials without needing to check what their council will accept. Fareham Borough Council currently operates an alternate weekly waste and recycling collection service for plastic bottles, card, paper, tins, cans and aerosols, with a glass and textiles able to be taken to nearby bank sites across the Borough. Introducing Simpler Recycling means that food waste will be collected separately in Fareham on a weekly basis, glass must be collected from residents’ kerbside and a greater range of recyclables must be collected in recycling bins - including plastic pots, tubs, trays, cartons, paper and card, and metal cans. These services must be in place by 31 March 2026 and the Council is expecting capital funding to be provided for the purchase of new food waste collection vehicles and food waste bins.