INCPEN Newsletter
 

A message from Paul Vanston, INCPEN CEO

As we await the Government’s plans for the country for May and beyond, we’ve already heard there are impacts on the consultation and legislative timetable for the UK-wide Plastics Packaging Tax albeit that the April 2022 start date remains in place. More widely, officials in the UK Government and in the devolved administrations are discussing impacts on other key legislative areas including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), consistency of recycling collections, and the deposit return scheme (DRS). Issue are likely to include: -

• Reviewing timetables and plans for consultations, legislation and implementation;
   
• Considering options for the current Packaging Recovery Notes (PRN) system to ensure 2020 impacts from Covid19 are managed;
   
• Also looking at general improvements to the PRN system for the remaining time it has prior to being replaced by EPR in 2023; and
   
• Assessing what PRN materials recycling targets should apply for 2021 and 2022, and when the Statutory Instrument to make those legal should be laid in Parliament.  (Q2 PRN data will be available in July 2020, which may be influential in how officials and Ministers go forward).
   

Discussions between industry and officials in all four parts of the UK are ongoing – but at least the discussions are happening given everything happening around us.

Of course, as important as these legislative issues are to us, there’s no doubt they are eclipsed by the current impacts on the health, social and economic aspects for all of us. There is much talk of a ‘new normal’ for how we live our lives. Alas, we can expect the impacts of Covid19 will be a long drawn out affair, and social distancing seems set to stay for some while. That will affect our lives at home, work, socially and culturally. Attempting to configure our lives (and our businesses) to the ‘new normal’ may be much easier to say than to do.

In the meantime, I’m grateful each day for the care and fellow feeling we show for each other and the people around us.

My best wishes, and stay well,
 

Paul

INCPEN Member News

Legislation Updates

INCPEN Members (not including Trade Association Group colleagues) can see all legislation updates in full by clicking here.  If you experience issues logging in, please contact Alison Skuse.

Cyprus: New Waste Management Strategy includes plans for DRS - 16 April 2020

• regulations on the separate collection of MSW which will introduce 'pay-as-you-throw' pricing (Jun-19 study): Draft expected Apr-20;
• legislation introducing a DRS: It is reportedly near finalisation and expected to be submitted to Parliament by Nov-20;
• legislation transposing the EU CEP: Expected Jun-20;
• re-issuing of operating licenses for the existing PROs.

Croatia: Draft Waste Management Act, transposing EU CEP and SUP Directive in preparation - 1 April 2020

• maintain the central role of the EPEEF in organising waste management but have the MoE operate a new ‘Register of EPR Producers’ (RPPO) [Presently producers report to the EPEEF managed ‘Register of special waste categories’ and payment of fees to the EPEEF is presently the only compliance option available for EEE, batteries and packaging].
• enable the operation of producer responsibility organisations (PROs) whose activities qualify for exemptions from the EPPEF fees [Note: PROs are already described in the current Law but none are approved. A PRO approval requires a government decision, followed by a tripartite agreement between the PROs, the Ministry and the EPEEF];
• remove the option for individual compliance from the Act;
• obligate packers and fillers of beverage containers subject to the mandatory deposit-refund system (DRS) to pay the deposit on all bottles POM to the EPEEF.

News from Industry

• Jenrick to ask councils to reopen HWRCs in coming weeks; Robert Jenrick, the Secretary for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has said that local authorities will be asked to “plan the organised opening” of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) in the coming weeks. Speaking in the House of Commons on 28 April, Jenrick stated: “Today I can announce that I am asking councils to plan the organised opening of household waste collection sites. I expect this to happen over the coming weeks, and I will be publishing amended guidance shortly.”
• Packaging Innovations | 30 under 30; Packaging Innovations is searching for the packaging industry’s 30 most dynamic and influential professionals under the age of 30 in a new initiative. Celebrating the next generation of the industry, the initiative encourages professionals to self-nominate if they are under 30, or nominate eligible colleagues if they believe they have contributed significantly to the sector.
• What does Covid-19 mean for food, farming and nature; This post is by Tom Lancaster, head of land, seas and climate at the RSPB, and Ellie Brodie, head of land management at The Wildlife Trusts, on behalf of Greener UK and Wildlife and Countryside Link, in consultation with Sustain and the Soil Association.
• FPA: Plastics tax consultation delay is ‘common sense’; The Plastic Packaging Tax is among ten consultations and calls for evidence that have been delayed. The extension will give all stakeholders, who are facing disruption due to Covid-19, more time to submit their views and allow them to fully engage with these documents and contribute to the tax policy making process.
• Award-winning microplastics pioneer elected as Fellow of the Royal Society; The fellowship is the latest personal accolade for Professor Richard Thompson, who was made an OBE for services to marine science in 2018.
• Sustainable footwear brand Allbirds release their first running shoe with a carbon rating; Made from ‘renewable natural material’, the shoe emits 9kg of carbon dioxide per pair through its production, manufacturing and recyclability at the end of it’s life. This is 30% less than the average running shoe.
• RECOUP includes film in updated recyclability guidance; Recycling charity, RECOUP has released its updated Recyclability by Design publication to include guidelines for recyclability of plastic film.
• Covid-19 highlights issue of bread packaging; Environmental impact is unlikely to be the first thought in some consumers’ minds but the tape sealing expert said shoppers rushing to stockpile household essentials have led to a significant increase in the amount of fresh food thrown away as consumers over-buy, with bread one of the main items going to waste.
• 8 ways to make your food work harder; At times like these its important that we reduce our food waste and make the most of what we have. To help, we've put together these eight tips for making your food work harder during these uncertain times, and beyond. 
• Sales of no- and low-abv beer continue to rise even in lockdown; Figures published by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) suggest that under lockdown sales of no- and low-alcohol beer have grown by 14.8% (Nielsen Scantrack, four weeks to 21 April 2020)
• Helen Dickinson: Retail is stronger together in war on coronavirus; Our high streets are full of retailers who have been forced to completely shut down or restrict themselves to online only. Some brands are on the brink of collapse, with hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk – from shopfloor staff and marketing departments to farmers and factory workers further down the supply chain.
• Industry launches new guidelines on including recycled content in packaging; Prepared through a close collaboration between the BPF, CTPA and FDF, the document provides answers to questions about measuring recycled content and highlights important regulatory and technical considerations. The guidance is aimed at companies wishing to include recycled content in food, drink, cosmetics and pharmaceutical packaging; it is also designed to help policymakers better understand the sector-specific issues.
• Landlords hit back at accusations of aggressive tactics as tenants fail to make rent payments; “Everyone is trying to survive. And we have shown compassion to those struggling . . . They need to recognise that we are trying to survive too,” said Asif Aziz, the founder of West End property company Criterion Capital, which has come under fire after threatening a number of tenants on its £3bn estate with legal action.
• BRC & USDAW have produced guidance to support the reopening of non-essential stores so..."that retail businesses can start trading again slowly and safely, and customers can feel confident that they are safe to return to shops.”; As we start to prepare for the re-opening of stores it is likely that some virus control restrictions will continue to be necessary to limit transmission. BRC has worked with USDAW to agree practical recommendations for businesses to consider. 
• BFFF have made their weekly webinar update recordings available online. Click here to access the resource; Their next #webinar update is scheduled for Wednesday 20th May 2020. 
• Aluminium packaging recycling volumes continue to increase; According to recent data released by the UK’s Environment Agency (22 April), 35,232 tonnes of aluminium packaging were collected for recycling in Q1 2020 – an increase of 48% compared to the same period in 2019 (23,800 tonnes).  Aluminium packaging collected through kerbside, bring and on-the-go systems increased by 33% (24,323 in 2020, compared to 18,265 in 2019), while tonnage recovered from incinerator bottom ash leapt by 97% (10,909 in 2020, compared to 5,535 in 2019).
• ‘Huge blow’ to pubs and brewers as Government fails to defer £750 million Beer Duty payment during COVID-19; Decision will put brewers under even greater financial strain risking their ability to resupply pubs for reopening after COVID-19 crisis.
• New measures to protect UK high street from aggressive rent collection and closure; High street shops and other companies under strain will be protected from aggressive rent collection and asked to pay what they can during the coronavirus pandemic.
• B&Q reopens stores closed amid lockdown; After a trial at 14 stores at the weekend, 61 outlets reopened on Wednesday and another 80 on Thursday.
• For better or for worse: the delicate relationship between people and the wildlife around them; In the past, coronaviruses that circulated in humans caused only mild infections. This changed in 2002, when the SARS-CoV virus presented itself in humans as the disease we now know as SARS. In 2020, SARS-CoV-2–a relative of the same virus–has presented itself in humans in the disease we now call COVID-19. Bernard Bett leads research on neglected and emerging infectious diseases at the International Livestock Research Institute as part of the research portfolio under the Improving Human Health flagship.  His studies of zoonoses–diseases that are transmissible between animals and humans–informed the UNEP Frontiers 2016 Report and drew attention to the issue that now concerns just about everyone. In this interview, Bett discusses the delicate relationship between humans, wildlife and the pathogens that circulate among them.
• WRAP's updated guidance offers help across the supply chain for those businesses with surplus food and organisations who redistribute surplus food. In every case, we want to look #BeyondBestBefore; WRAP guidance aims to increase the amount redistributed by ensuring that all food is considered for redistribution by businesses, even if beyond the Best before.  
• Prolonged social distancing will bring huge difficulties for the Pub Sector; British Beer & Pub Association responds to Professor Chris Whitty’s comments that social distancing will be needed until at least the end of 2020.
• Amcor readies for online grocery boom with sustainability focus; New Amcor research has forecast European online grocery market to grow by 66% by 2023, with consumers focussed on sustainability.
• Aquapak sends infection control bags to the NHS free of charge; Aquapak has donated thousands of water-soluble infection control laundry bags to the NHS to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
• BBPA reveals the local authorities letting pubs down; The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has uncovered many parts of the country where pub businesses are still to receive covid-19 grants from the local authorities. Venues in Birmingham, Manchester and Brighton are among the worst hit.
• Opinion: Achieving public health equity — start with sanitation and hygiene for all; There have been pandemics before: SARS in 2003, H1N1 in 2009, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 2012, Zika in 2016 and, perhaps most terrifying of all, Ebola in 2014, which made world headlines and touched many through the accounts of first responders. In each instance, sanitation and hygiene — or the lack thereof — played a key role. And in each of these outbreaks, it was the poorest and most vulnerable communities who were the most heavily impacted.
• This week’s episode of Inside the Factory on BBC2 saw Gregg Wallace visit the Heinz factory which produces two million tins of soup a day; He followed the production of vegetable soup, from a pea harvest in Yorkshire right through to the finished soup going into cans and being dispatched.
• How incinerator bottom ash contributes to a circular economy; How returning aluminium packaging from an EfW by-product to the value chain helps cycle our materials in sustainable ways.
• High Street giants fearful over early exit from Covid-19 lockdown; A slew of British retailers and hospitality businesses on Tuesday warned the Government not to push too soon to reopen the economy for fear of causing greater long-term damage to their businesses and the economy.
• FWD and Cabinet Office link to create online food platform for care homes; The Federation of Wholesale Distributors has teamed up with the Cabinet Office to create a new online platform for care homes to source food supplies.
• Brits turn to corner shops during lockdown; Nearly a quarter of Brits have used corner shops more frequently since the start of the coronavirus lockdown – the biggest increase for any type of store – according to a survey from pollsters YouGov.
• Tinned peaches, tahini, sardines: recipes to make the most of your store cupboard; If any of those are lingering in the back of your cupboards, turn them into tasty meals with the help of Jack Monroe, Andi Oliver and other great cooks.
• Explainer: how disinfectants tackle Covid-19; The spread of Covid-19 has spurred a surge in demand for disinfectants to keep our hands and surfaces clean. But what do we know about how disinfectants actually deactivate Covid-19, and how should we be using them?
• Rebecca Pow praises ‘vital’ waste sector; Recycling and resources minister Rebecca Pow has written a letter addressed “to those working in the waste sector” thanking them for continuing to deliver a “vital service”. 
• Recycling Technologies announces site for first European plastic chemical recycling machine; Recycling Technologies and Brightlands Chemelot Campus have signed an agreement for a new plastic chemical recycling machine. Brightlands Chemelot Campus, a research and technological growth hub, is located close to the main petrochemical hub in Europe from Antwerp and Rotterdam to the Rhine and Meuse accounting for 40% of Europe’s chemical industry, employing over 320,000 people.
• Kemsley paper mill duo rally to support local NHS staff sewing urgently needed scrubs; Calls for PPE support during the Covid-19 pandemic answered by local individuals via Facebook.
• DS Smith donates 10,000 bedside tables to IFEMA field hospital; Under the slogan #WeStopThisVirusTogether, workers at DS Smith's plant in Madrid have looked to play their part by manufacturing cardboard furniture.
• To protect our own populations and economies from Covid-19, the world must work together; The world is in shock. Covid-19 respects no borders. Other global crises exist, such as climate change, but this pandemic poses a more immediate threat to our health and lives.  As the virus spreads across the globe, its dire development, economic and humanitarian consequences are increasingly apparent. Experiences from other infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola show that underlying societal problems – notably inequality, poverty and conflict – make the situation worse.
• Viridor to showcase plans for new Dunbar facility; Waste management company Viridor is to virtually share its plans to build a polymers reprocessing plant in Dunbar, Scotland.
• Black plastic packaging use falls in the UK, says RECOUP; Its Black Plastic Packaging Forum report estimates that the amount of black packaging used in the UK fell from 36,000 tonnes to 10,000 tonnes going into 2020. It added that black plastic now accounts for 0.7% of consumer plastic packaging placed on the UK market each year.
• Defra delays disposable plastic items ban; The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced that it will delay the ban on plastic straws, cotton buds and stirrers until October 2020 due to the potential problems the ban would entail for businesses during the pandemic.
• DS Smith adopts infrared technology to catch ‘rogue’ plastic in recycling; Last year DS Smith’s Kemsley paper mill – the largest recycled paper mill in the UK – measured enough plastic contamination in paper and cardboard materials bound for recycling to fill up to 4.8 million black bin bags. The importance of collection streams and tackling the issues of plastic contamination at source, have been revealed by the new data provided. Paper and card are more likely to be contaminated by plastics when it comes from mixed recycling collections – where materials such as glass, cans, paper and plastics are collected together – as opposed to segregated collections.
• Kite Packaging designs protective face visor for the NHS; Kite Packaging has taken just a week to devise, design and supply a new protective face visor for the NHS – with 10,000 units dispatched within seven days.
• This episode of 'You're Dead To Me' looks at the amazing story behind chocolate; Greg Jenner is joined by chocolate historian Alex Hutchinson and British TV legend Richard Osman to explore the culinary and cultural history of Britain's favourite confectionery. Just what did the Maya use to flavour their cacao? How did cacao become chocolate and find its way into our shops and hearts? And why did a family feud change the entire branding of a much loved chocolate bar?