Plastics & Rubber World - September/October 2019 - 10

INDUSTRY COMMENT

Revisit PRN programme
Peter Atterby is managing director of Luxus, a major plastics compounder based in Lincolnshire

In this article, Peter Atterby explains why reforms to the PRN system
are needed to solve the UK's recycled plastic sourcing problem

still receives 100% of the PERN revenue.
arlier this year. Malaysia sent back 3,000 tonnes of
non-recyclable plastic waste to countries including
On the other hand, if that waste was recycled in the UK,
the UK, the US, Canada and Australia.
the recycler only receives any revenue at the end of the
The waste was sent to Malaysia after the UK was
process. This creates an unfair advantage.
left scrabbling for new markets following China banning
This is the exact opposite of what the government intended when it launched the scheme in the 1990s. As it
most plastic waste imports in 2018. This was instead of
stands, exporters still gain PERN credits for every tonne
addressing the fundamental ﬂaws across our national
shipped out of the country.
recycling system.
This already diﬃcult situation makes acAfter Malaysia was identiﬁed as a willing
cessing quality recycled plastic feedstock
recipient, it was then revealed that recycling waste received from the UK was bethat much more diﬃcult, as the high prices
ing disposed of in illegal dumps. All while
being paid for waste exports has seen
product shipped out of the country
the Malaysian government was trying to
instead of retained.
clamp down on dozens of illegal plastics
Although the original intentions
recycling facilities.
of the PRN system were good, the
The tragedy is that Malaysia, as with
programme has been undermined
many countries, lacks the necessary
by corruption and greed.
waste management infrastructure to
A solution to this situation is for
deal with imported waste. The situation
manufacturers to use more recycled
should be a call for the UK to review our
plastics in their products. This will help to
Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) system
fulﬁl obligations outlined in the new tax
that favours exports over domestic recyon plastic packaging with less than 30%
cling.
recycled content, due to be introduced
Package Export Recovery Notes
in 2022.
(PERNs) are received in return for exportFollowing on from that, increasing deed recycling and are put forward as proof
Waste from the UK was
mand from national plastics manufacturof genuine recycling. The waste, though,
ers for quality recycled plastic could force
can include contaminated product which
being disposed of in
the government into rethinking its posistill contributes to the exported volume.
illegal dumps
tion on PERNs. Which, it is hoped, would
For example, if the export is for one
Peter Atterby, Luxus
take the stress oﬀ south-eastern Asian
tonne of PET bottles, that can include 25%
countries now taking our waste.
of another polymer. But the exporter

WWW.PRW.COM | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

http://WWW.PRW.COM

Plastics & Rubber World - September/October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Plastics & Rubber World - September/October 2019