Industry voices are “too dominant” in the extended producer responsibility for packaging’s scheme administrator PackUK, says North London Waste Authority.
North London Waste Authority (NLWA) welcomed the launch of PackUK but expressed concern over what it called an “imbalance in representation.”
NLWA said the lack of local government in PackUK could negatively impact the UK’s extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) scheme.
NLWA said the steering group lacks representation from waste disposal and collection authorities, calling them organisations that have relevant and direct experience of dealing with everyday waste.
Cllr Clyde Loakes, NLWA’s chair, called for PackUK to consider local authorities and producers as “equally important” for the successful delivery of pEPR.
“The representation by those organisations which manage the waste must be equivalent to businesses which generate the waste,” Cllr Loakes said.
“Previous attempts to address unsustainable packaging have marginalised local government representation to those attempts detriment and now we see that representation minimised again, which is unacceptable during a climate emergency.”
Loakes continued that if the government is serious about transitioning to a circular economy, it needs to ensure that business is “incentivised to innovate”.
“Extended producer responsibility must encourage the research of alternative, sustainable materials that replace or dramatically reduce plastics use. It is not just about recycling,” Cllr Loakes said.
NLWA also urged the UK Government to ensure that current plastic tax mechanisms incentivise producers to use recycled plastic content in packaging.
