Reconomy brand Valpak: Simpler Recycling will bring coherence to EPR

Reconomy brand Valpak has welcomed Defra’s announcement on Simpler Recycling.

Steve Gough, CEO at Valpak said: “This clarity around waste collections will help local authorities, waste managers and producers to plan ahead. Local authorities have been waiting for guidance to inform service arrangements and infrastructure, but the announcement is equally good news for packaging producers. 

“Successful recycling hinges on consumer participation. With consistent recycling collections in place across England, packaging brands and retailers will be in a much better position to communicate with householders, via labelling on products or through direct messaging. It is this communication that will drive recycling to the next level.

“While the schedule for changes to household collections by 2026 gives plenty of time for service changes, it also ties in with EPR payments, bringing coherence to the wider EPR system. The decision to scrap TEEP will appeal particularly to some authorities, which have felt constrained by the current arrangements. At the same time, the introduction of weekly food waste collections should have a major impact on circularity across England.”

Under the new regime, which is yet to be mandated, metal, glass, plastic, paper, card, food waste and garden waste must be collected by every authority in the country. Food waste collections must take place weekly, while councils will maintain the right to charge for garden waste collections. 

For the majority of local authorities, Simpler Recycling will begin in 2025 for non-household municipal premises (hospitals, schools etc), while household collections will come on line in March 2026.

Ends

Editors notes

·      Valpak’s mission is to create a sustainable, waste-free world. We are driven, not by today. We are driven by tomorrow.

·      We help our clients to reduce waste and recycle more, continually innovating and using leading data science and expertise to inspire businesses, help push ourselves – and our industry – forward. We don’t just show our customers how to navigate waste regulations; we help them become more sustainable, through our ever-increasing capabilities and pioneering innovations. 

·      Valpak is the largest environmental compliance scheme in the UK. We work with major names, such as Aldi, Tesco, ASOS, and Miele, and manages compliance for more than 2,000 businesses. In 2022, it celebrated its 25th anniversary.

·      Valpak is a Reconomy Group company. Reconomy Group is an innovative, tech-led provider of services to enable the circular economy, with the purpose of creating a truly sustainable world by conserving finite resources. Enabling businesses around the world to improve their ESG outcomes, the Reconomy Group delivers value through its unique set of integrated capabilities - Recycle, Comply and Re-use.​ 

·      Reconomy Group serves businesses of all sizes in the following sectors: retail, hospitality, leisure, manufacturing, facilities management, transport and logistics, construction, house building and infrastructure.

·      Valpak services include:

o   Compliance under Waste Packaging, WEEE, and Battery Directives.

o   Data insights.

o   International compliance.

o   Recycling services (total waste management options and solutions for niche materials).

o   Consultancy.

o   Accreditation under environmental schemes, such as Zero Waste to Landfill. 

Valpak invests in pioneering systems and expertise which enable its customers to analyse, assess and improve product design. The Product Data Hub, Insight Platform and dedicated teams work together to drive change.