Recycling labelling rules for household packaging are under review to ensure they keep pace with developments in collections services and recycling infrastructure.
OPRL – the not-for-profit company which runs the On-Pack Recycling Label scheme – is carrying out the review which is expected to be concluded later this year.
OPRL is used across a number of well-known food and drink brands to denote the recyclability of product packaging to consumers, and was first launched with the backing of the British Retail Consortium in 2009.
The OPRL label has three categories which tell consumers how likely it is that their local authority will accept specific packaging materials for recycling, which are currently based upon the proportion of councils throughout the UK that collect the particular packaging materials.
The review is expected to lead to revised rules which for the first time will take into account sortation processes at MRFs and the likelihood of reprocessing into recyclate for use in packaging or other products.
Stuart Lendrum, Chair of the Review Steering Group and OPRL director, said:
“This review will not only ensure our labels reflect the whole recycling process for the first time, going beyond collections to sortation and reprocessing, it will also take us towards a binary labelling system, as envisaged in the recent UK Governments’ joint consultation.”
Find out more about OPRL here: www.oprl.org.uk
