WRAP, the government’s waste action body, has published a new material flow report for different packaging, including paper, card, glass, wood and metal.
The Material Flow 2025 reports aim to forecast the potential of each type of packaging to meet its recycling targets in the next 6 years.
It does this by looking at the estimated volume of each packaging material in circulation on the market, compared with data on the amount of that packaging collected for recycling.
It’s estimated that the volumes of glass, paper, card and steel packaging placed on to the market in the UK are likely to have increased by around 4%, with aluminium packaging rising by 11%.
The reports were gathered by Valpak and update previous projections on packaging production from 2012 through to 2014, using data from 2017.
These estimates play a key part in determining whether the industry is likely to meet current and future packaging targets.
So, how is each material performing?
WRAP estimates that aluminium, paper and card packaging should meet their recycling targets in 2019 and 2020, as well as proposed EU Circular Economy Package (CEP) targets in 2025.
According to WRAP, steel is expected to meet its 2019 recycling target, but may not do so next year, while wood was judged to have a ‘moderate possibility’ of meeting its recycling targets up to 2020.
Glass is likely to be unsuccessful in meeting its recycling targets in 2019 and 2020, although it’s proposed CEP target of 70% in 2025 is likely to be met.
WRAP’s economist Peter Sainsbury commented that it was important for the industry to be aware that further action may be required to ensure future recycling targets are met.
