We’ve invited stakeholders from across the UK’s local government, packaging, and waste and resource management sectors to discuss and encourage positive public behaviour change ahead of the forthcoming changes to the UK’s waste and recycling policy.
Webinar overview
The success of DRS (deposit return scheme) and consistent collections, due to be introduced in the next few years, will be reliant on the public changing their behaviours and adapting to a more rigorous and complicated waste and recycling system.
Together with key stakeholders from across the UK’s local government, packaging, and waste and resource management sectors, we explored the following questions:
- What role does each stakeholder play in ensuring that the public understands what they need to do to adapt to the new initiatives?
- What do the packaging, waste, and government sectors need to do to encourage public behaviour change to ensure that the DRS and consistent collections policies are a success?
- Is there enough time to launch a public education programme before the DRS and consistent collections policies are introduced? What should that public education programme look like?
- What lessons can we learn from other countries who have successfully introduced DRS and consistent collections policies?
There is a significant challenge facing local authorities in particular to ensure that the public fully understands the new system and complies by the new requirements.
We were delighted to be joined by an expert panel to talk about what is required, including:
- Michelle Whitfield – Head of Communications & Behavioural Change, Waste & Resources Team, Greater Manchester Combined Authority
- Paul Vanston – CEO, The Industry Council for Packaging & the Environment (INCPEN)
- Jacob Hayler – Executive Director, The Environmental Services Association (ESA)
- Scott Byrne – Assistant Director, Global Sustainability, Sonoco
Download our whitepaper on EPR and beyond
Producers have a huge responsibility to adopt and maintain sustainable practices.
This is a responsibility Sonoco takes extremely seriously. Any legislation in this area though, needs to take a holistic view of what it means to be a responsible producer, rather than a narrow focus on material types.
It also needs to be wary of unintended consequences and must recognise that truly sustainable long-term solutions to our waste and recycling challenges require collaboration across the supply chain, from producers to brand owners and retailers, to consumers and trade bodies, and to Government and local authorities. By singling out producers alone, the EPR legislation risks missing an opportunity to improve waste disposal and recycling practices more broadly.
In this whitepaper, Sonoco looks at what it really means to be a responsible producer and examines ways in which the UK could improve its packaging recycling rates that go far beyond the scope of the EPR consultation.
Get your copy of the whitepaper here
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