Government Urged to Standardise Product Recycling Labels Urgently
Posted by : Mercury Labels Ltd on Monday, November 15, 2021 in Printed Labels.
The UK government has been warned that urgent action needs to be taken to standardise recycling labels in order to clearly communicate the responsible disposal of all types of products. On-Pack Recycling Label Ltd (OPRL) has urged the government to adopt a single labelling scheme in order to ensure the success of its Environment Bill.
While the environment bill will make recycling label mandatory for product packaging, no specifics have been outlined with regard to how the information will be communicated. OPRL has expressed concerns that unless recycling labelling is standardised, it could lead to confusion regarding which products can and cannot be recycled.
The amendment to the Environment Bill has been backed by Liberal Democrat politician Lord Teverson, which would result in the standardisation of recycling labelling for clearer communication. The issue is now set to be brought before the House of Lords within the coming days.
The proposal calls for a “single consistent design framework” that is “evidence-based as well as clear, consistent and validated”, in order to help businesses and consumers better understand their recycling obligations.
OPRL warned that the current approach to recycling label design is unsustainable, inevitably fuelling confusion about what can and cannot be recycled.
Speaking on behalf of OPRL, executive chair Jane Bevis warned that it would be a “major setback” to the extended producer responsibility (EPR) proposals, if the government allows the current “free for all” approach to label design to continue.
“A free for all with endless confusing variations of design would undermine the environmental objectives of EPR and would be a major setback. That’s why we’re willing to share our label designs and the huge consumer recognition we’ve built up over the last 12 years with other providers,” she said.
“We’re passionate about driving transformational change in packaging resource efficiency as part of addressing climate change and biodiversity loss. We have got to #MakeItEasy for everyone to recycle well.”
