A Consortium of environmental and packaging compliance schemes has launched a Packaging Scheme Forum (PSF), as the industry prepares for reforms to producer obligations.
The PSF will aim to provide insight, guidance and feedback on the existing Producer Responsibility Obligations
The PSF is established by 45 of the 50 registered UK packaging compliance schemes, and will seek to “foster open and collaborative dialogue” between industry bodies and government.
The forum will be chaired by Robbie Staniforth of Ecosurety, and will aim to “help improve packaging regulation and enforcement in the UK”.
According to the PSF, it says it will do this by providing insight, guidance and feedback on the existing Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations.
It comes as the UK’s packaging compliance PRN sector gears up for potentially radical changes which are likely to be published for consultation alongside the Resources and Waste Strategy later this year.
The creation of the new organisation comes after the demise of a previous scheme forum known as CoSWIG, the Compliance Schemes Working Group which had similar aims to the new group. CoSWIG was created in 2001 (see letsrecycle.com story).
‘Encouraging’
Robbie Staniforth of Ecosurety will chair the new forum
Commenting on the creation of the new forum, Robbie Staniforth, policy manager at compliance scheme Ecosurety, says the interest in packaging regulations is encouraging.
“It has been encouraging to witness the recent surge in interest in the UK’s existing packaging regulations and we welcome all efforts being made by Government to review the existing system,” he explained.
Mr Staniforth added: “The members of this newly formed PSF have considerable expertise from operating with the existing Packaging Waste Regulations. We look forward to working collaboratively with Government so the best results for the UK’s industry, producers and our environment are secured.”
Market share
PSF reports that its members represent 97% of producers registered with compliance schemes within the UK. Included in this mix are producers from the automotive, engineering and medical fields.
Following “numerous” meetings through 2018, its first official meeting was held on Thursday 13th September 2018 in Birmingham, which key representatives from Defra attended to share ideas of upcoming regulation and to gauge opinions.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Packaging
