MoreThanWaste.com - Major initiative to aid packaging recycling (03/12/2007)

"Retailers plan to have the new logo in use early in the New Year. That shows voluntary action can achieve more, and more quickly, than any legislation. Retailers recognise they are uniquely placed to change customers' behaviour and help the Government achieve its waste reduction targets"

Kevin Hawkins, Director General of the British Retail Consortium

London: Retailers are looking to replace the current range of symbols and messages on packaging with a single logo. They have seized the initiative and they are working to agree standardised recycling labelling for packaging as a way of encouraging customers to recycle and so help the Government achieve its waste reduction targets.

This initiative has been launched by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) who will consult with Government, local authorities, manufacturers and retailers to ensure widespread acceptance.

Customers are getting increasingly frustrated with the uncertainty of which packaging can be recycled. A commonly used symbol for recycling is the Mobius symbol – see image – but this itself can be confusing as to whether a product can be recycled or alternatively contains recycled content.

Retailers involved include the biggest names on our High Streets including Alliance Boots, ASDA, B&Q, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's Supermarkets, Tesco Supermarkets Ltd, The Co-Operative Group and Waitrose.

The BRC considers that differences in local recycling regimes have thwarted efforts to produce universal recyclability labelling. The organisation is proposing a tripartite categorisation covering the following divisions:

The sometimes confusing Mobius symbol

• Widely recycled – Recycled by 65 per cent or more of local authorities
• Check locally – Recycled by 20 to 65 per cent of local authorities
• Not currently recycled – Recycled by less than 20 per cent of local authorities

BRC is the UK's leading retail trade association which represents the full range of retailers, from large multiples and department stores to small independents, selling all types of products through town-centre, out-of-town, rural and online stores.

WRAP works in partnership to encourage and enable businesses and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials and recycle more things more often. Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by Government funding.

British Retail Consortium Director General Kevin Hawkins said:

"Local inconsistencies cannot be allowed to thwart a standardised label which will help millions of customers and mean more of what can be recycled is collected."

Further information

Web sites

http://www.brc.org.uk

http://www.wrap.org.uk


	Major initiative to aid packaging recycling (03/12/2007) "Retailers plan to have the new logo in use early in the New Year. That shows voluntary action can achieve more, and more quickly, than any legislation. Retailers recognise they are uniquely placed to change customers' behaviour and help the Government achieve its waste reduction targets" Kevin Hawkins, Director General of the British Retail Consortium London: Retailers are looking to replace the current range of symbols and messages on packaging with a single logo. They have seized the initiative and they are working to agree standardised recycling labelling for packaging as a way of encouraging customers to recycle and so help the Government achieve its waste reduction targets. This initiative has been launched by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) who will consult with Government, local authorities, manufacturers and retailers to ensure widespread acceptance. Customers are getting increasingly frustrated with the uncertainty of which packaging can be recycled. A commonly used symbol for recycling is the Mobius symbol – see image – but this itself can be confusing as to whether a product can be recycled or alternatively contains recycled content. Retailers involved include the biggest names on our High Streets including Alliance Boots, ASDA, B&Q, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's Supermarkets, Tesco Supermarkets Ltd, The Co-Operative Group and Waitrose. The BRC considers that differences in local recycling regimes have thwarted efforts to produce universal recyclability labelling. The organisation is proposing a tripartite categorisation covering the following divisions: The sometimes confusing Mobius symbol • Widely recycled – Recycled by 65 per cent or more of local authorities • Check locally – Recycled by 20 to 65 per cent of local authorities • Not currently recycled – Recycled by less than 20 per cent of local authorities BRC is the UK's leading retail trade association which represents the full range of retailers, from large multiples and department stores to small independents, selling all types of products through town-centre, out-of-town, rural and online stores. WRAP works in partnership to encourage and enable businesses and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials and recycle more things more often. Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by Government funding. British Retail Consortium Director General Kevin Hawkins said: "Retailers plan to have the new logo in use early in the New Year. That shows voluntary action can achieve more, and more quickly, than any legislation. Retailers recognise they are uniquely placed to change customers' behaviour and help the Government achieve its waste reduction targets. Ideally material that's recyclable in one area would be recyclable everywhere but, so far, it isn't. "Local inconsistencies cannot be allowed to thwart a standardised label which will help millions of customers and mean more of what can be recycled is collected." Further information Web sites http://www.brc.org.uk http://www.wrap.org.uk