Recycling: Labelling

(asked on 7th June 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Environment Bill’s mandatory recycling labelling provisions will be aligned with best in class existing clear and well-recognised consumers recycling labels.


Answered by
Rebecca Pow Portrait
Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 15th June 2021

As set out in our recent consultation on extended producer responsibility for packaging (which closed on 4 June 2021), our preferred approach to implement mandatory recyclability labelling for packaging includes that labels must meet criteria set in regulations and will have to be approved by the Government or the regulator prior to use. This will ensure a clear and consistent approach to mandatory recyclability labelling for packaging. Our preferred approach provides flexibility for existing recycling labels to continue to be used subject to meeting the criteria set in regulations and approved by the Government or the regulator.

The Government recognises that a variety of labels can cause consumer confusion. However, alongside mandatory recyclability labelling there will be producer-led communication campaigns which will help to raise consumer awareness regarding what packaging can and cannot be recycled.

Last year, Defra commissioned the Waste and Resources Action Programme to review the available evidence regarding the social impact of labelling in the context of extended producer responsibility schemes and to provide an analysis of the current available evidence of on-pack labelling on consumer disposal behaviour. Key findings of the review include that consumer recycling behaviour can be influenced by a well-designed label along with recommendations regarding what the best performing label would look like. Findings in this review will be taken into consideration when developing and implementing mandatory recycling labelling as part of extended producer responsibility for packaging.

In addition, the Competition and Markets Authority is currently consulting on draft guidance on environmental claims on goods and services. This includes guidance on recyclability claims made on labels.

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