Proposed incineration tax should fund recycling education programme, says Lorax Compliance

Michelle Carvell, COO of Lorax Compliance

“The government’s proposed incineration tax, which will see waste companies pay a fee per every tonne of plastic burned, should be used to fund a consumer recycling education programme to mend the UK’s disjointed recycling infrastructure.

“Recent research, which reveals that up to a third of supermarket plastic packaging is not widely recyclable, has shown there is huge inconsistency within recycling packaging labelling to inform consumers what can and cannot be reused. This follows revelations earlier this year that revealed that the contents of up to one in five recycling bins were turned away by some councils in 2017 because they were contaminated with the wrong items – 84 per cent of which was either buried or incinerated.

“Reforming the system must firstly involve better joined-up efforts from manufacturers in labelling products that can and can’t be recycled in clearer terms and secondly, more communication from local authorities on the correct sorting of materials to avoid contamination. As environmental compliance experts, we know that innovation in the field of recycling can only be driven by increased levels of consumer awareness.”