Strong Production in Monthly Packaging Waste Figures

The packaging waste recycling figures for July, published by the Environment Agency earlier this month, have continued to report strong production, with most materials showing an increase when compared to the same period last year.

The latest figures, released on the NPWD on the 10 August, follow the interim quarterly data which indicated that all packaging materials are on track to hit their annual targets for 2020.

Whilst many materials are reporting an increase from 2019, paper and wood are two grades that have continued to drop in production when compared to last year. The supply of wood waste is significantly lower than the same period of 2019 as a result of the closure of construction sites during lockdown. And whilst wood has now achieved over 60% of its obligation with carry over, alongside paper, this material is traditionally needed to help fill the general recycling obligation so both materials continue to be watched closely.

PRN prices largely softened following the quarterly data in July, and in anticipation of strong progress towards target obligations. However, despite showing positive production throughout the year, plastic prices have seen a rise in the latter part of this month.

Martin Trigg-Knight continued: “We’ve seen PRN prices for most materials soften as a result of the positive data. Paper PRNs have mostly resisted this trend, however, having not made as much progress as some of the other grades. And we’ve also just started to see increases in plastic PRNs. We are monitoring this closely, and working closely with our suppliers, to ensure that we can continue to support our members to get the most cost effective route for their compliance.”