Packaging waste
The UK produces around 10 million
tonnes of packaging waste every year, most of which is disposed of
in landfill sites.
Packaging waste is a significant part
(7–10%) of the waste produced in the UK. In 2000 just less than one
million tonnes of the 9.2 million tonnes of packaging waste in the
UK was produced in Scotland. That’s a lot of waste!
The EC Directive on Packaging &
Packaging Waste (94/62
EC 
) aims to
minimise this disposal by setting targets for recycling and
recovering packaging waste. From 2001, Directive targets require
that at least 50% of the UK's packaging waste must be re-utilised
through recycling and other recovery methods.
The Directive’s aims fit in with the
Scottish Government's
commitment to a zero waste Scotland. There is a need to
promote sustainable waste management practice among industry and
commerce as the National Waste Plan is implemented. Launched
by SEPA and the Scottish Executive in 2003, the Plan outlines how
we can increase levels of recycling and an overall reduction in the
amount of waste we produce by the year 2020.
You can read
about SEPA’s approach to a zero waste Scotland and the National
Waste Plan.
65% of the UK’s packaging waste was
recovered in 2008, compared with only 27% in 1998. Over ten
years this is a significant achievement, however continued efforts
are required in order to reduce the environmental impact of
packaging without compromising its ability to protect the
product. Defra’s new packaging strategy,
Making the Most of Packaging , outlines the direction of packaging policy for the next ten
years.