Navigating EPR, compliance and eco-design

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EPR, DRS, RWS... What does it all mean to your business, and how can you make sure you're up-to-date and compliant?

Tune into this episode of 'Ask the Expert' for a deep dive into Extended Producer Responsibility, and how it fits into the Government's wider Resources and Waste Strategy. 

 

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Extended Producer Responsibility was launched in 2023, a new UK legislation requiring businesses to change the way they collect and report on the packaging they handle, in the hope of delivering a more circular economy. 

The main focus was the introduction of a new regime to reform and replace the UK's Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) system. 

The changes are expected to cost UK producers around £1.7 billion each year, creating a strong incentive to reduce packaging and increase its recyclability.

Tune in for a deep dive into Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), how it fits into the wider Resources & Waste Strategy, and how you can ensure you're compliant. 

Navigating EPR, compliance and eco-design - Transcription

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Climate change is real and it's happening

as we speak.

 

00:00:04:16 - 00:00:07:15

These changes can impose

serious threats to human health

 

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and are causing more frequent and intense

extreme weather events across the world.

 

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Global temperatures

have risen by about one degree C

 

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and this figure is set to increase

even more. At Veolia,

 

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our ambition is to achieve

ecological transformation.

 

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If you want to learn more

about how your business can play its part,

 

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join our panel of experts

in our LinkedIn live series,

 

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Ask the expert.

 

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Follow us

and look out for the notification

 

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when we have gone

live to discover our innovative solutions

 

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and how we can all turn the tide

on climate change.

 

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Good afternoon,

everyone, and welcome to episode

 

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one, Season

two of Ask the Expert here with Veolia.

 

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Today we're going to be talking about

 

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three letter acronyms

and three in particular,

 

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and three is continuing

the theme of Sesame Street

 

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that we seem to have started

with this year.

 

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I'm going to be joined by three of Veolia's

own experts to discuss all things

 

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extended producer

responsibility, packaging

 

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and compliance and ecodesign.

 

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If anyone watching

 

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attended our in-person event

in the Midlands a couple of months ago,

 

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you're going to see some familiar faces.

For everyone else,

 

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this is going to give you a chance to hear

from some of our experts

 

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about how you can ensure

your business remains compliant

 

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in the face of new

and changing EPR regulations.

 

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I want to invite my speakers, my guests

 

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to join us

shortly and explain their roles.

 

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I'm also

going to know one thing from you all.

 

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I want to know your hack or your tip on

how you can reduce your carbon footprint.

 

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So what have you done, Maddie,

to reduce your carbon footprint?

 

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And let's hear from you.

 

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Thanks, Martyn.

 

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One thing I would say something.

 

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I live in central London,

so cycling to work, I'd say is

 

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is my own personal hack

helping to reduce my own carbon footprint

 

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By way of introducing myself.

 

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I'll just say thank you

for having me on the panel today.

 

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I'm Maddie Hall, Senior Sustainability Policy Manager.

 

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I focus on a wide

range of sustainability policy, looking at

 

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how government policy is impacting

the area and its customers and obviously

 

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with collections and packaging phones

being one of the hot topics at the moment.

 

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Especially.

 

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Excellent. Thank you, Maddie.

 

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I want to now introduce the man,

the myth, the legend.

 

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That is Andy. Andy.

 

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How do you reduce your carbon

footprint and introduce replacement?

 

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Yeah, thanks and good afternoon.

 

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So I think one of the hacks

that I've been recently

 

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doing is to recycle films

and flexibles at home.

 

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Lots of all packaging at home

from kind of supermarket shops.

 

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Is it normal flexibles to recycle

that has had a significant reduction

 

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on what we throw in general waste.

 

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So myself and you don't get some of

the commercial innovation leader Veolia.

 

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So I head up a team of innovation project

managers, sustainability consultants.

 

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We help businesses become more sustainable

through innovative measures,

 

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providing projects that assist

with extracting challenging waste types

 

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and also helping them to futureproof

and meet their changes.

 

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Excellent.

 

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Thank you, Andy.

 

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So to a man who needs no introduction.

 

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Chris.

 

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Chris,

please tell us your carbon footprint hack

 

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and introduce yourself.

 

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Thanks, Martyn.

 

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I'm similar to Andy, actually.

 

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The the amount of flexible plastics

we seem to generate in the household

 

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astounds me,

 

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and I'm forever filling up a hopper

at the front of your local supermarket.

 

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But also, I'm a big fan of turning lights

off that need to be on in the house.

 

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We have a family

that seems to like to light up every room,

 

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even in the middle of the day.

 

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So that's my tip to keep an eye

on those on those lights.

 

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I'm the as UK compliance manager.

 

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I look after both.

 

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Are we packaging compliance schemes

in the UK and I'm currently knee

 

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deep in in trying to get my head around

the new EPR regulations

 

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and help our customers move forwards

and understand those and remain compliant.

 

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Thank you,

 

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Chris and Chris, I'm

going to come back to you in a moment

 

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and ask our first question.

 

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Those of you watching,

 

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you can ask your question in the chat

and we'll try and pick that up.

 

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And if we have the time and

the availability, we'll answer it for you.

 

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We'll also send links in the chat

and in the posts below.

 

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This linked in live

to any link of all content

 

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we mention all comes up in the date.

 

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So thank you very much for that and I hope

you enjoy what you're going to hear now.

 

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Chris,

 

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you said he had trying

to get your head around it.

 

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Can you outline for us what EPR means

 

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and who it applies to?

 

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Yes. Good morning. Thanks.

 

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If your

 

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extended producer responsibility

is is around

 

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placing the burden for the cost of

of end of life treatment, of materials

 

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around those that are responsible for

introducing those into the marketplace.

 

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Producer responsibility itself

has been around in the UK for around

 

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25 years and was first introduced

 

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with the packaging regulations in 1997.

 

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So it's not something that's

particularly new to us, although it does

 

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seem to be new to quite a few people

out there in the in the real world,

 

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along with with with packaging,

there's producer responsibility

 

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regulations that cover wait, wait,

electrical electronic equipment,

 

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portable batteries and the light vehicles

 

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as part of the

the reason I say recent it's

 

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almost five years old

now the resources and waste strategy,

 

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one of the major tranches in

there was was around

 

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bringing in further producer

responsibility and indeed the devolution

 

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of extended producer

responsibility and packaging is the first

 

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of those

 

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regimes to to undergo the spotlight

and and be beefed up as opposed to

 

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to put it mildly, the existing regulations

have been in place for a fair while

 

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and was set up in a in a much different

marketplace than we see today

 

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and and the recycling world

that we live in.

 

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And the

 

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the change to the regulations,

really trying to drive the stagnation

 

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of recycling of a

certainly a packaging materials in the UK

 

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and a lot of that from that

from a household point of view.

 

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So extended producer responsibility

really widens

 

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the scope of what we've seen in the past

 

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and is is looking really to

to take on the full

 

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net costs of recovery

for the IT within those regimes.

 

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So whatever the cost is to

 

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surface, particularly

the packaging in this circumstances

 

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is the full

the full costs of of all packaging

 

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that's collected and treated

and and recycled is placed back

 

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on to those producers that are responsible

for pulling into the marketplace.

 

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The new regulations

 

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have changed the the landscape

 

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quite significantly

and taken it away from a a

 

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a low cost system to producers into this

into this format of recovery.

 

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So one of the main changes

that we're going to see is is an increase

 

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in the overall costs of of the system

itself.

 

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Just the various

 

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calculations around the

the system could be four

 

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or five times more expensive

than than the previous system.

 

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But that's all depends on on which markets

you look at to

 

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to do the comparisons against.

 

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It brings in a new type of producer,

so a smaller producer

 

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as well as a large producer,

 

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bringing down the thresholds

on which companies are obligated.

 

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So that will bring in some new

you and new companies into the regime

 

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and effectively expanding the reach of

of the regulations

 

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to more and more companies to

to to pay their way during the system.

 

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One also big change we're seeing is

 

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the old system was based on a shared

responsibility approach.

 

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So through the through the packaging

or supply chain, different picture

 

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obligations on any piece of packaging

 

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which is now

 

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changed to a single point of compliance,

which is probably the major change

 

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which is focusing the, the costs

onto brand holders and importers.

 

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And some of the smaller players, such

as online marketplaces, have been brought

 

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into the regulations and distributors

 

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of of own branded packaging.

 

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We're also seeing a big change in

 

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in sort of the reporting side of things

and what producers have to report

 

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going from an annual report to a twice

 

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on the report, large producers

 

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and also we're looking at

how we actually categorise the packaging.

 

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So changing from from just it

being packaging to the split between

 

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household and non-household packaging.

 

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But this is really to to align

with the label to split the costs

 

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between the local authorities

which collect a lot of household

 

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packaging, waste and recycling

so that the household recycling stream

 

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so produces a responsible

input in that sort of packaging.

 

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The market will pick up the costs

 

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from the local authority side of things

and then the

 

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then all producers will pick up

the actual physical recycling costs

 

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of such as the parent costs that we see

at the moment in the current system.

 

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Does this further characterisations

of waste into reporting of the

 

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waste, is it something that's currently

commonly thrown away in the

 

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in the been on on the go packaging,

if you like

 

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also alarming drinks containers

 

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and also reporting

through the regulations itself

 

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some of some of the backhaul in of waste

in and there's only mentioned earlier

 

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around the supermarket

flexible film collections

 

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they can be utilised to

to offset producers obligations as well.

 

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We've got one additional

category in the mix as well

 

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where we're spitting out fibre composite

 

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packaging away from the carbon paper

previously

 

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and we've also got to categorise

packaging by the by the level.

 

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It's not.

 

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So whether it's a primary piece

of packaging,

 

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the packaging around the product

or or all the packaging with a secondary,

 

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tertiary or, or shipment packaging

 

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which is usually used to move

that primary packaging around.

 

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Finally, there's an additional reporting

regime brought in

 

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for the sellers of packaging as to where

they place that packaging on the market.

 

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So, so retailers at such a

will will need to do separate reporting

 

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around how and where

they place the packaging onto the market

 

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to help with the setting

and the targets across England, Scotland,

 

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Wales and Northern Ireland for recycling

of packaging waste moving forward.

 

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Wow. Yes,

 

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So much information to take on board there

and so much detail.

 

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Thank you for giving us that outline.

 

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Can you update me now on people listening

where we are

 

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with the timeline of the legislation

and what's happened so far?

 

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Yeah, sure.

 

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And the the first set of regulations

that bring in the package

 

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in April is a

is a data reporting standards instrument

 

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that was laid in in in Westminster

 

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earlier this year and came into force

 

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for England, Scotland and Northern Ireland

on the on the 28th of secondary,

 

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which effectively mandates producers

to collate

 

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and report their packaging data from the

 

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the 1st of March almost this year.

 

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Or if they're able to to to to report that

from the 1st of January moving forward.

 

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At the

 

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same time we're starting to

to to look at April.

 

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We're also finalising let's not forget the

the current period system so

 

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people's final obligation

under the old system

 

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and the reporting that has hopefully

been completed for most producers now

 

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and that will run through

through this year with with with the for

 

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the powering costs to go through

as as we've been used to for many years.

 

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But that will then phase out experience

from the old system

 

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that will exist in the new system

 

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for part of the obligations,

as I mentioned earlier.

 

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So what producers now

 

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are in the middle of is trying to work out

how to translate their old

 

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packaging data systems into the new ones

to report for EPR to cover

 

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lots of those countries,

as I mentioned earlier.

 

00:13:01:14 - 00:13:04:08

So the first half of this year

really is around producers

 

00:13:04:17 - 00:13:07:09

getting that getting the data together

to be able to make a submission

 

00:13:07:18 - 00:13:10:12

in the second half of this

year by the 1st of October.

 

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And that and

 

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that process will roll on six monthly

for large producers

 

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with the second half of the year

submitted by by the 1st of April.

 

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Similar to how the annual data

has been submitted in the past.

 

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Those two sets of data

will then be amalgamated by by Defra

 

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and that will then move forward into

producing producers obligations for 2024.

 

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And again, that that will roll forward

 

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in the second half of the year.

 

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We'll see the new online system

for all reporting

 

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set up and producers will need to enrol

 

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with, with the regulator to say

 

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they're a producer

who that approved person is going to be.

 

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Delegations authority

that they want to set up for that.

 

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And as part of that process,

if they're a member of the packaging

 

00:14:03:01 - 00:14:07:02

compliance scheme, they can support them

with and take on the legal obligations

 

00:14:07:02 - 00:14:08:09

under the obligations

 

00:14:08:09 - 00:14:10:21

they'll be able to select

that compliance scheme on the register

 

00:14:11:08 - 00:14:12:21

or enrol themselves.

 

00:14:12:21 - 00:14:16:03

I've can't say register

because the rules don't say registration

 

00:14:16:03 - 00:14:17:14

at the moment

that they're going to come up

 

00:14:17:14 - 00:14:20:08

in the new regulations

as they come in for next year.

 

00:14:20:16 - 00:14:24:14

So producers enrol

and then they're able to report the data

 

00:14:24:21 - 00:14:28:06

either directly with the regulator

or through a compliance scheme as.

 

00:14:28:21 - 00:14:29:02

They.

 

00:14:30:21 - 00:14:31:13

As we as

 

00:14:31:13 - 00:14:34:05

we move through the year into into 2024,

 

00:14:35:09 - 00:14:39:21

we see the the first set of reporting

requirements for a small producer.

 

00:14:40:13 - 00:14:42:18

So I mentioned that we've got large

and small producers,

 

00:14:43:03 - 00:14:45:09

the large producers are handling

 

00:14:46:10 - 00:14:49:15

over 50 tonnes of packaging this year

and turning over more than £2 million

 

00:14:49:15 - 00:14:52:20

as all with with the existing regulations.

 

00:14:54:03 - 00:14:58:24

But small producers are a smaller band

that are turning over

 

00:14:59:04 - 00:15:02:18

more than £1 million a year and handling

more than 20 volumes of packaging.

 

00:15:03:02 - 00:15:05:07

So lots more producers

come into the system.

 

00:15:05:17 - 00:15:09:06

They will need to understand the data,

the report that's for the whole year

 

00:15:09:14 - 00:15:12:21

in the first half of next year,

 

00:15:12:21 - 00:15:15:14

and then we will start seeing the fees

being

 

00:15:16:23 - 00:15:19:14

applied to two producers

 

00:15:19:20 - 00:15:23:03

probably into quarter two 2024.

 

00:15:23:22 - 00:15:29:16

What I will also say is the scheme is

going to be run by a scheme administrator,

 

00:15:31:08 - 00:15:32:19

which is due to

 

00:15:32:19 - 00:15:35:17

be appointed later on this year

 

00:15:36:15 - 00:15:37:21

and that probably covers us

 

00:15:37:21 - 00:15:40:21

to to work

to how we've got to go on a while longer.

 

00:15:40:22 - 00:15:43:15

But. Martyn Thank you, Chris.

 

00:15:43:15 - 00:15:47:16

You really have earned your Ask

the Expert badge there.

 

00:15:48:12 - 00:15:50:17

And I know that you are supporting

 

00:15:50:17 - 00:15:54:00

a lot of our customers

and helping them navigate through this.

 

00:15:54:20 - 00:15:57:18

Somebody else who's helping

and supporting our customers is Maddie.

 

00:15:58:02 - 00:15:59:04

Maddie,

 

00:15:59:20 - 00:16:02:05

it's a good time now to come to

you and ask,

 

00:16:02:05 - 00:16:05:13

how does all this fit into the roll

out of the resources

 

00:16:05:13 - 00:16:07:17

and waste strategy?

 

00:16:08:20 - 00:16:13:12

Yeah, so EPR is a huge beast in itself

 

00:16:13:18 - 00:16:17:19

and is part of,

I'd say, a collective of as staff

 

00:16:17:19 - 00:16:21:20

for a putting it collections

and packaging reforms at the moment.

 

00:16:22:14 - 00:16:25:18

Just to be clear in the sense

that the resources strategy is an England

 

00:16:25:18 - 00:16:29:17

centric strategy, but you've got strategy

to waste management across other UK

 

00:16:29:17 - 00:16:31:05

nations as well.

 

00:16:31:05 - 00:16:34:05

And given that policy in the waste

 

00:16:34:07 - 00:16:37:16

space is devolved, but ultimately

 

00:16:37:23 - 00:16:40:24

there's been agreement that it will be

a UK wide approach, obviously

 

00:16:40:24 - 00:16:44:07

with some differentiation,

potentially with some looking

 

00:16:44:07 - 00:16:47:09

at litter costs included in that appeal.

 

00:16:47:23 - 00:16:50:21

But ultimately, as Chris mentioned, it's

 

00:16:50:21 - 00:16:55:07

about driving ecodesign, it's

about putting responsibility on producers

 

00:16:55:07 - 00:16:58:14

to pay the full net cost of recycling

 

00:16:59:04 - 00:17:01:06

the packaging material.

 

00:17:01:19 - 00:17:03:24

But you also look at that

 

00:17:04:23 - 00:17:07:13

in tandem with the collections reforms.

 

00:17:07:13 - 00:17:09:00

You've got some changes to collections

 

00:17:09:00 - 00:17:12:18

reforms, obviously consistency

being one of the big ones for England,

 

00:17:12:24 - 00:17:17:00

and that's going to affect businesses

and local authority level.

 

00:17:17:16 - 00:17:20:00

Obviously that will mean a change in

 

00:17:20:00 - 00:17:22:23

will have a core set of recyclables

to be collected.

 

00:17:22:23 - 00:17:26:02

But obviously,

as Andy and Chris have mentioned,

 

00:17:26:11 - 00:17:27:19

firms will be included in that

 

00:17:27:19 - 00:17:30:06

and that will also support

the kind of the EPR scheme

 

00:17:30:18 - 00:17:34:01

in terms of driving more films, recycling,

albeit I'll come back to

 

00:17:34:01 - 00:17:36:18

the topic of markets

which will be key to that.

 

00:17:38:04 - 00:17:41:07

And then you've got also changes in Wales

around business by separation,

 

00:17:41:10 - 00:17:44:17

the cycling of C actually

introducing some new new materials

 

00:17:44:17 - 00:17:47:19

which we're not talking about today,

but looking at unsold waste

 

00:17:47:19 - 00:17:50:22

electronics and unsold textiles

to be collected by businesses.

 

00:17:50:22 - 00:17:55:06

So big changes you've got,

you've got of the EPR as a whole come

 

00:17:55:07 - 00:17:58:14

in, you've got some changes to collections

coming in across the UK nations,

 

00:17:58:23 - 00:18:02:04

but you've also got a dress system

which is considered a separate collection

 

00:18:02:04 - 00:18:06:21

system focusing on specific container,

single use drink containers, namely

 

00:18:07:11 - 00:18:11:22

aluminium, still cans and glass

depending of see on UK nations.

 

00:18:12:15 - 00:18:15:05

And the big one for dress

 

00:18:15:05 - 00:18:17:22

is about driving

the consumer behaviour change element.

 

00:18:18:06 - 00:18:22:01

This is in the sense of making producer

 

00:18:22:05 - 00:18:23:06

sorry, making consumers

 

00:18:23:06 - 00:18:27:05

put a value on packaging material,

encouraging them to return it

 

00:18:27:21 - 00:18:31:00

and driving them the increase of quality

and quantity of material

 

00:18:31:00 - 00:18:32:20

into recycling system.

 

00:18:32:20 - 00:18:36:17

And so in some basically

the collections are starting

 

00:18:36:17 - 00:18:40:17

to increase the quality constant

the system and the range of materials.

 

00:18:40:23 - 00:18:44:13

EPR will actually drive more

and recyclable packaging formats

 

00:18:44:13 - 00:18:48:12

into the system is also driving

kind of revenues to support investment

 

00:18:48:12 - 00:18:51:21

in recycling the whole kind of value

chain recycling.

 

00:18:51:21 - 00:18:53:10

And then you've got the rest,

 

00:18:53:10 - 00:18:55:19

which is kind of separately driving

the consumer behaviour change,

 

00:18:55:19 - 00:18:59:10

but also leading to domestic

recycling rates increase.

 

00:18:59:24 - 00:19:03:17

That being said,

obviously these three policies have taken

 

00:19:03:17 - 00:19:07:15

quite front and centre, I'd say, since

the launch of the resource waste strategy.

 

00:19:07:15 - 00:19:09:21

And as Chris mentioned,

there is a lot of other elements

 

00:19:10:04 - 00:19:14:10

of kind of waste and recycling reforms

that are going to come into fruition

 

00:19:14:10 - 00:19:18:12

across the UK as different nations

implement their strategies.

 

00:19:19:16 - 00:19:20:09

But there's other

 

00:19:20:09 - 00:19:23:13

elements obviously which will play a key

role, complementary role to these.

 

00:19:23:13 - 00:19:25:03

You've got plastic packaging tax laws

 

00:19:25:03 - 00:19:28:17

came forth last year

driving demand for recycled content.

 

00:19:29:00 - 00:19:31:11

But big question over

that is maturity of it.

 

00:19:32:04 - 00:19:37:23

We would long push for an escalation

to this to both the rate of taxation

 

00:19:37:23 - 00:19:41:17

and the recycled content threshold

to help drive those end

 

00:19:41:18 - 00:19:44:19

markets and sustain

kind of domestic recycling.

 

00:19:46:07 - 00:19:50:02

The other elements

is there's a lot of other policy as well.

 

00:19:50:02 - 00:19:50:23

And delaying.

 

00:19:50:23 - 00:19:53:22

You've got a waste tracking system

which will act to support

 

00:19:53:22 - 00:19:56:15

the whole new system of reforms

that are being put in place.

 

00:19:57:01 - 00:20:00:12

You've also got other policies

which are going to impact the

 

00:20:00:23 - 00:20:05:02

the waste waste hierarchy, particularly

kind of the way problem is as well,

 

00:20:05:08 - 00:20:09:20

the waste hierarchy with the potential

with the ban on biodegradable.

 

00:20:09:20 - 00:20:11:20

So landfill aim for 2028.

 

00:20:11:20 - 00:20:15:23

But as again, we're waiting

for consultation to be launched on that.

 

00:20:16:08 - 00:20:17:10

But as I say,

 

00:20:18:09 - 00:20:19:03

EPR is

 

00:20:19:03 - 00:20:22:01

one part of a huge array of reforms,

the biggest

 

00:20:22:05 - 00:20:25:21

kind of range of reforms at this sector

has basically seen the whole value chain.

 

00:20:25:21 - 00:20:30:00

It's been a long time, which will have

a massive impact on different segments.

 

00:20:30:10 - 00:20:33:18

And it's it's really aimed

at whole systems approach

 

00:20:33:18 - 00:20:37:06

about increasing supply of materials

in driving ecodesign.

 

00:20:37:06 - 00:20:39:20

So that stuff placed on the market can be

recycled.

 

00:20:40:05 - 00:20:44:15

It's also about plastic packaging that's

increasing demand for recycled content.

 

00:20:45:00 - 00:20:47:17

I'd say we support

the principles of this vision,

 

00:20:48:15 - 00:20:51:10

but one key issue is

that there is a lot of

 

00:20:52:13 - 00:20:55:21

kind of detail still yet to be announced

on the collections and packaging forms.

 

00:20:55:21 - 00:20:58:06

Obviously with the consistency

of collections being one of the big ones,

 

00:20:58:24 - 00:21:00:23

we still don't

have the government response

 

00:21:00:23 - 00:21:04:06

and that so still in the dark over

specific items

 

00:21:04:06 - 00:21:06:23

that will need to be collected,

but also the implementation

 

00:21:06:23 - 00:21:09:24

timelines, the enforcement

regime that goes around it.

 

00:21:09:24 - 00:21:13:18

And these are the elements that require

kind of real focus as they impact

 

00:21:13:18 - 00:21:16:23

by change decisions

around packaging formats, infrastructure

 

00:21:16:23 - 00:21:20:18

design, investment

and ultimately consumer behaviour change.

 

00:21:20:18 - 00:21:25:08

Because getting that consumer buy into

the new system will be critical

 

00:21:25:08 - 00:21:29:10

because we have to have trust

in the system that it works.

 

00:21:29:10 - 00:21:31:19

We need that

consumer confidence in recycling

 

00:21:33:12 - 00:21:34:16

in a nutshell.

 

00:21:34:16 - 00:21:38:00

Yeah, in a nutshell.

 

00:21:38:00 - 00:21:39:11

What strikes me in

 

00:21:39:11 - 00:21:42:18

all that is, is the two things

the whole systems approach.

 

00:21:43:05 - 00:21:46:15

It is the biggest change

we've seen, isn't it, in this area?

 

00:21:46:15 - 00:21:50:13

And everything has to move together

and everything has to move in sync

 

00:21:50:13 - 00:21:52:17

in order to make it successful.

 

00:21:52:17 - 00:21:55:04

And you can understand why some of it

 

00:21:55:04 - 00:21:58:14

hasn't quite yet

developed into to a concrete message yet.

 

00:21:58:14 - 00:22:03:19

But I know for certain our customers

and the early areas as a whole

 

00:22:03:19 - 00:22:07:06

will help to communicate those messages

and support

 

00:22:07:12 - 00:22:10:06

businesses in the UK.

 

00:22:10:24 - 00:22:13:16

I've got a bit of a follow up

question for you though.

 

00:22:13:22 - 00:22:17:15

You know, what's next

then for the resources and waste strategy

 

00:22:17:15 - 00:22:21:10

and what are the potential benefits

and what are some of the challenges

 

00:22:21:10 - 00:22:22:08

that might arise?

 

00:22:25:14 - 00:22:26:10

So I would say

 

00:22:26:10 - 00:22:29:05

this there's a huge timeline coming down.

 

00:22:30:08 - 00:22:33:22

We're hoping the government don't kick

the can down the road to much more.

 

00:22:33:23 - 00:22:37:06

Obviously, industry is waiting

to make certain investments.

 

00:22:38:10 - 00:22:40:13

I would say

there has been a policy hiatus.

 

00:22:40:13 - 00:22:44:07

Chris has obviously mentioned some of the

kind of the timeline in relation to EPR

 

00:22:44:07 - 00:22:45:18

and some of the changes

that are happening.

 

00:22:45:18 - 00:22:48:20

You've got the IRS regulations

which currently go through Parliament

 

00:22:49:00 - 00:22:53:16

for a free drafting stage at the moment,

and then we'll go through Parliament

 

00:22:53:16 - 00:22:57:21

and you've got EPR regulations which

are also in development and also changes

 

00:22:57:21 - 00:23:03:13

to material facility regulations as well,

which will impact material sorting

 

00:23:03:13 - 00:23:06:21

so that these may strong sensations

under the EPR regime.

 

00:23:07:20 - 00:23:10:11

You've also within

that you're going to have

 

00:23:10:11 - 00:23:13:05

the appointment all the various

kind of scheme administrators.

 

00:23:13:11 - 00:23:17:04

For those of you who are listening

in, you may have attended the different

 

00:23:17:10 - 00:23:17:22

groups.

 

00:23:17:22 - 00:23:23:04

And as I mentioned, the governance aspect,

the scheme administrator for the EPR

 

00:23:23:04 - 00:23:27:07

scheme is a topic of great discussion

at the moment and how that works.

 

00:23:27:07 - 00:23:29:24

And that kind of leads

into my previous point

 

00:23:29:24 - 00:23:34:01

about how the design, implementation

and enforcement of the whole regime

 

00:23:34:01 - 00:23:38:03

is particularly important and how it's run

the need to build confidence

 

00:23:38:03 - 00:23:42:21

in the recycling sector and also to drive

up domestic recycling rates.

 

00:23:43:23 - 00:23:45:07

I think some of the challenges

 

00:23:45:07 - 00:23:48:21

ultimately lie in the lack of policy

 

00:23:48:21 - 00:23:50:03

clarity.

 

00:23:51:23 - 00:23:54:05

There's a lot of challenges for producers

 

00:23:54:05 - 00:23:58:10

in terms of Chris's already mentioned,

just in relation to EPR, the sheer

 

00:23:58:10 - 00:24:02:22

number of compliance changes the producers

are going to have to consider,

 

00:24:03:07 - 00:24:05:11

but then they're also managing that

in terms

 

00:24:05:11 - 00:24:09:05

of the different implementation

timelines of different schemes.

 

00:24:09:05 - 00:24:13:01

You've got the IRS coming in in Scotland

other than England as well as you've got

 

00:24:13:01 - 00:24:15:24

differences in materials,

there's going to be changes to

 

00:24:16:14 - 00:24:18:23

labelling across nations, having to then

 

00:24:19:06 - 00:24:24:18

phase in and phase out

labels as they dress comes in in England,

 

00:24:24:18 - 00:24:27:21

Wales and Ireland, and those items

no longer a part of the scheme.

 

00:24:27:21 - 00:24:31:14

So there'll be a lot of different changes

in the same way for waste management,

 

00:24:31:14 - 00:24:36:00

there'll be changes across the UK nations

with such regionalisation of collection.

 

00:24:36:00 - 00:24:41:06

So it will be,

I think it's those elements of chain

 

00:24:41:06 - 00:24:42:07

that's confusing enough

 

00:24:42:07 - 00:24:44:06

and then you've got to bring

in the consumer side

 

00:24:44:06 - 00:24:46:16

and the importance of having clear,

cohesive, simple

 

00:24:46:16 - 00:24:50:13

labelling to make it easier for customers

to understand

 

00:24:51:03 - 00:24:53:18

what they need to recycle,

where they can recycle it.

 

00:24:54:18 - 00:24:57:03

So it kind of brings in

 

00:24:57:03 - 00:24:58:19

that whole

 

00:24:59:10 - 00:25:01:11

whole system approach, essentially.

 

00:25:01:23 - 00:25:05:14

But I'd say one of the biggest challenges

that we will have breeds

 

00:25:05:14 - 00:25:08:19

a lot of uncertainty

in relation to the EPR scheme

 

00:25:09:04 - 00:25:11:07

and how the whole system will align.

 

00:25:12:12 - 00:25:16:05

The end market development

is key to driving up recycling rates.

 

00:25:17:05 - 00:25:19:18

The in

some ways feedstock is not necessarily

 

00:25:19:18 - 00:25:21:21

the biggest block at the end

markets really is.

 

00:25:21:21 - 00:25:25:03

A lot of technical

solutions are available, but we do need

 

00:25:25:04 - 00:25:29:05

and sustain the markets

and so you'll see the consistency reforms

 

00:25:29:05 - 00:25:32:22

will drive material into the market,

but we need a clear content

 

00:25:33:00 - 00:25:35:18

strategy around legislative fees

and how that is going to drive

 

00:25:35:19 - 00:25:38:03

the kind of the responsive juices.

 

00:25:38:03 - 00:25:40:15

It's like bottle packaging on the market

so that it goes

 

00:25:40:23 - 00:25:43:06

supports investment

in the recycling system.

 

00:25:43:17 - 00:25:47:05

And then equally we need kind

of a strong commitment from off takers

 

00:25:47:05 - 00:25:50:05

for recyclers as that would be critical

for kind of maintaining

 

00:25:50:09 - 00:25:54:09

those sections of we've seen this being

some of issues with certain companies

 

00:25:54:09 - 00:25:57:14

going into their station as well

with some of the uncertainty

 

00:25:57:14 - 00:26:01:08

and the kind of the challenges

that the industry faces.

 

00:26:01:08 - 00:26:05:06

So I'd say there's a lot

coming down the line,

 

00:26:05:06 - 00:26:07:21

there's a lot of challenges,

there's a lot of opportunity,

 

00:26:09:06 - 00:26:11:22

and I think it's just about the whole,

 

00:26:12:08 - 00:26:15:02

as I've mentioned, value chain

collaboration, working together

 

00:26:16:07 - 00:26:19:00

on the producers,

talking to Waste Management

 

00:26:19:00 - 00:26:23:12

to understand what packaging is recyclable

or not, and really kind of

 

00:26:24:03 - 00:26:27:01

what works for consumers, how to help them

understand what to recycle

 

00:26:27:01 - 00:26:29:19

and kind of bringing

that whole whole system approach together.

 

00:26:32:13 - 00:26:33:09

Thanks, Maddie.

 

00:26:33:09 - 00:26:35:14

Thank you, Chris.

 

00:26:35:14 - 00:26:37:17

That's a thought running in my head.

 

00:26:38:16 - 00:26:40:22

You've got an awful lot of experience

 

00:26:40:22 - 00:26:43:23

with packaging producers.

 

00:26:43:23 - 00:26:47:08

What specifically

do you think of the challenges of EPR

 

00:26:47:08 - 00:26:50:02

for packaging producers

and how can we help?

 

00:26:52:11 - 00:26:55:13

Well, Martyn, I think the main issue

 

00:26:55:16 - 00:26:58:14

is a general lack of preparedness,

I suppose,

 

00:26:58:14 - 00:27:01:18

and the speed that the regulations of

of been brought in.

 

00:27:02:08 - 00:27:05:19

We've obviously had some delays for them

from when they the resources.

 

00:27:05:19 - 00:27:09:24

My strategy was introduced

due to COVID and Brexit in

 

00:27:10:11 - 00:27:12:13

and then the normal external factors,

 

00:27:13:02 - 00:27:15:06

but we're still moving ahead apace.

 

00:27:15:14 - 00:27:20:19

Regulations are in place and a more wide

 

00:27:20:19 - 00:27:24:24

reaching ones due to due to be in place

later this year for 424 onwards

 

00:27:25:24 - 00:27:26:15

and on.

 

00:27:26:15 - 00:27:30:09

And again, I mentioned earlier

that if the change in industrial sorting

 

00:27:30:09 - 00:27:33:12

and the extra categories,

the differentiation of

 

00:27:34:10 - 00:27:37:05

packaging needs to be reported

moving forward,

 

00:27:37:05 - 00:27:39:18

obviously twice as much reporting

for those producers rather.

 

00:27:39:18 - 00:27:41:04

And once a year we're doing it

twice a year.

 

00:27:41:04 - 00:27:43:22

So lots of time off.

 

00:27:43:22 - 00:27:50:02

And so far with the guidance

available around the room that we generic

 

00:27:50:02 - 00:27:54:00

and then we as compliance

schemes are pushing forward

 

00:27:54:00 - 00:27:58:03

with with with the regulators

to to provide more, more, more information

 

00:27:58:03 - 00:28:02:01

for producers, for ourselves so we can

so we can we can help people

 

00:28:03:19 - 00:28:06:18

with our reporting requirements and

make sure that they're getting it right.

 

00:28:06:18 - 00:28:07:24

First time

 

00:28:08:21 - 00:28:10:23

I mentioned also with this increasing cost

 

00:28:11:07 - 00:28:15:21

led to the switching of who response

have been responsible

 

00:28:15:21 - 00:28:20:04

for will change across the across

the supply chain and moving more into

 

00:28:20:04 - 00:28:23:01

into the brand holders and importers.

So they will be picking up

 

00:28:23:02 - 00:28:25:04

much higher costs

than they would have been previously.

 

00:28:26:01 - 00:28:28:24

And what that means

will the people or the producers

 

00:28:28:24 - 00:28:33:12

may may see that costs reduce or even

or fall out of whole lot of regulation.

 

00:28:34:16 - 00:28:36:09

I also

mentioned that the lowering threshold

 

00:28:36:09 - 00:28:38:12

so lots of smaller producers

 

00:28:38:12 - 00:28:40:18

who never really seen

the regulations before

 

00:28:40:18 - 00:28:42:11

and that really understand

what they're doing

 

00:28:42:11 - 00:28:45:01

and how that's going

to be communicated out to those

 

00:28:45:06 - 00:28:48:08

will will be a challenge and getting them

to report for the first time.

 

00:28:49:05 - 00:28:52:06

And so that's true

 

00:28:52:08 - 00:28:54:17

in terms of what we can do to help.

 

00:28:55:16 - 00:28:59:16

We've been operating a package

compliance scheme available since 1998, so

 

00:28:59:16 - 00:29:03:14

lots of experience within the team

to the support of our current customers

 

00:29:04:00 - 00:29:06:21

and producers, the currently registered

through to the system of

 

00:29:06:24 - 00:29:11:09

at the moment and our wider building

customers who who may be coming to this

 

00:29:11:09 - 00:29:12:18

for the first time.

 

00:29:15:06 - 00:29:16:21

Thanks, Chris.

 

00:29:17:05 - 00:29:19:14

I think that experience, that knowledge,

 

00:29:19:14 - 00:29:22:14

the expertise and experience

we have in Veolia,

 

00:29:22:22 - 00:29:27:11

not just on the compliance scheme

and packaging, it extends out

 

00:29:28:11 - 00:29:30:15

from our origins.

 

00:29:30:16 - 00:29:33:15

Veolia is known

for providing simple solutions

 

00:29:33:15 - 00:29:37:07

to the most complex problems, problems

we all face in society.

 

00:29:37:08 - 00:29:39:11

But Andy, I'm going to turn to you now.

 

00:29:39:22 - 00:29:44:00

Can you tell us more about how producers

can start to introduce Ecodesign aimed

 

00:29:44:01 - 00:29:47:11

to help them overcome these challenges

and make sure that compliant.

 

00:29:49:07 - 00:29:50:01

Yeah. Thanks.

 

00:29:50:01 - 00:29:52:24

And I think, you know

if we think about what what Chris

 

00:29:53:14 - 00:29:57:09

said, there's lots of changes coming down

and it's the right time

 

00:29:57:09 - 00:30:01:23

for for packaging suppliers

to think about their supply chain.

 

00:30:02:00 - 00:30:04:11

We're all all elements

of their businesses.

 

00:30:04:17 - 00:30:06:20

And I think Chris laid out quite well

 

00:30:06:20 - 00:30:09:21

this need to gather data on packaging

is a great place to start.

 

00:30:10:06 - 00:30:15:00

So you start to think about what they are,

tell you collate all of that helps you

 

00:30:15:00 - 00:30:19:17

to identify the dominant material types

and those kind of packaging categories.

 

00:30:20:07 - 00:30:22:14

Get get your supply chain engaged.

 

00:30:22:19 - 00:30:24:18

Awesome. Some straightforward questions.

 

00:30:24:18 - 00:30:28:17

Really think about how you can build

a better view of your packaging footprint.

 

00:30:28:22 - 00:30:33:07

And from that you can start to categorise

that packaging into single materials.

 

00:30:33:07 - 00:30:37:21

Most materials really think about and then

identify the more challenging items.

 

00:30:38:18 - 00:30:40:21

Once you've got that view

of your packaging yourselves,

 

00:30:41:04 - 00:30:44:06

then you want to start to think about

understanding the recycling process

 

00:30:44:06 - 00:30:48:03

and the infrastructure that's available

for your material to move through.

 

00:30:48:23 - 00:30:51:06

This is where you kind of think

about where your packaging ends up.

 

00:30:51:09 - 00:30:54:02

Lots of

it ends up in your household containers.

 

00:30:54:09 - 00:30:58:11

They've been collected by a business

like the area.

 

00:30:58:16 - 00:31:02:09

We can then work with that material,

but you've got to understand what is

 

00:31:02:16 - 00:31:07:09

actually getting recycled and not just

what is identified as recyclable.

 

00:31:07:09 - 00:31:08:14

There's a big difference

 

00:31:08:14 - 00:31:11:04

and that whole happens within

the infrastructure into the waste sector.

 

00:31:11:11 - 00:31:13:20

So identifying items

that are kind of falling

 

00:31:13:20 - 00:31:15:11

through that process is really helpful

 

00:31:15:11 - 00:31:18:16

because they're the ones that are going to

challenge you when you already comes in.

 

00:31:19:11 - 00:31:20:16

Once you've understood that you've got

 

00:31:20:16 - 00:31:22:20

your data,

you've got your packaging identified,

 

00:31:22:20 - 00:31:26:11

you've understood the infrastructure

and the processes, you can start to make

 

00:31:26:11 - 00:31:30:15

some really smart decisions, identify,

redesign items specifically forward.

 

00:31:30:15 - 00:31:34:17

So on to thinking about closed loop,

thinking about allowing packaging

 

00:31:34:17 - 00:31:36:06

to be used over and over again.

 

00:31:36:06 - 00:31:37:08

So it's quite straightforward.

 

00:31:37:08 - 00:31:40:02

It sounds quite straightforward,

I know, but as Chris said,

 

00:31:40:14 - 00:31:41:20

a huge amount of

 

00:31:41:20 - 00:31:45:07

this is based on identifying

packaging types and building up that data,

 

00:31:46:02 - 00:31:48:10

then understanding

how it moves through the process.

 

00:31:48:16 - 00:31:51:24

Therefore, we can make smart decisions

as we start to redesign that packaging.

 

00:31:52:00 - 00:31:53:07

Truly for recyclability

 

00:31:55:08 - 00:31:56:08

CRI advice.

 

00:31:56:08 - 00:32:01:01

And I'm sure people were scrabbling away

for a pen there to try and get

 

00:32:01:07 - 00:32:05:23

some of those simple ideas down

to solve this couple of complex problem.

 

00:32:05:23 - 00:32:11:00

But I'm interested to know what else is

Veolia doing?

 

00:32:11:00 - 00:32:12:21

What else is on our

 

00:32:13:04 - 00:32:15:04

supermarket shelves of the products

 

00:32:15:04 - 00:32:17:22

and that we can deliver

to customers to help.

 

00:32:18:06 - 00:32:20:10

So what other offers have we got?

 

00:32:22:00 - 00:32:22:24

Yeah, great question.

 

00:32:22:24 - 00:32:24:00

A great point you made there.

 

00:32:24:00 - 00:32:27:13

The they might sound simple and they might

be a list of them, but actually,

 

00:32:27:18 - 00:32:30:21

you know, once we start to sit down

with our customers or with businesses

 

00:32:31:09 - 00:32:33:22

and say it's about working

through those in a process.

 

00:32:33:22 - 00:32:34:17

So we've designed

 

00:32:34:17 - 00:32:39:06

a, a, a suite of services and offers

that can support where this challenge

 

00:32:39:18 - 00:32:43:02

first we talk about our sustainability

consultancy, what we do there.

 

00:32:43:02 - 00:32:47:08

We've got all of the areas global expert,

they cross over

 

00:32:47:08 - 00:32:50:23

sustainability reasons, management,

circular solutions,

 

00:32:51:06 - 00:32:54:14

talk about legislation, material recovery

and importantly net zero.

 

00:32:54:20 - 00:32:57:17

So we bring together

these in the consult with the offer

 

00:32:57:17 - 00:33:00:23

that align business needs

and sustainability strategy.

 

00:33:01:06 - 00:33:05:13

EPR legislation is a key part of of this

sustainability consultancy approach

 

00:33:05:21 - 00:33:06:24

because we need to understand

 

00:33:06:24 - 00:33:10:06

the challenges that a particular business

or customer faces

 

00:33:10:18 - 00:33:14:21

and then put in the right work packages

to overcome those on an individual basis.

 

00:33:15:06 - 00:33:18:17

Part of that means that we're running

sustainability workshops.

 

00:33:18:23 - 00:33:23:15

We help translate these latest changes

into business strategies,

 

00:33:23:23 - 00:33:24:21

make it quite straightforward.

 

00:33:24:21 - 00:33:26:05

So exactly like you said,

 

00:33:26:05 - 00:33:28:11

those different steps,

they might seem simple,

 

00:33:28:11 - 00:33:30:10

but actually coming in

and firing them off,

 

00:33:30:10 - 00:33:33:09

we've got to work through in

a particular process that meets the pace.

 

00:33:33:17 - 00:33:36:12

The legislation is coming

and the complexity of each business.

 

00:33:36:16 - 00:33:39:09

So sustainability

workshops are really helpful for that,

 

00:33:39:12 - 00:33:42:15

to break down those challenges

and come up with a work.

 

00:33:42:18 - 00:33:46:22

I know we've got circular packaging design

workshops as well.

 

00:33:46:22 - 00:33:50:10

Let's take it one step further, really

thinking about that packaging journey

 

00:33:50:22 - 00:33:53:22

and pausing to take away

there is moving packaging

 

00:33:53:22 - 00:33:57:01

from just being recyclable

to actually being recycled.

 

00:33:57:06 - 00:33:58:20

There's a significant difference.

 

00:33:58:20 - 00:34:01:11

And as part of that we've got a real

 

00:34:01:14 - 00:34:04:03

a real great offering,

which is also a package.

 

00:34:04:11 - 00:34:08:00

They carry out in-depth

packaging analysis and certification

 

00:34:09:18 - 00:34:11:10

think moving slightly away

 

00:34:11:10 - 00:34:13:05

from the packaging

with a couple of other things

 

00:34:13:05 - 00:34:15:05

that we've developed to really support

customers.

 

00:34:15:12 - 00:34:16:23

One of those is our plastic loop

 

00:34:16:23 - 00:34:20:16

offering that launched globally this year

that supply circular polymers

 

00:34:20:19 - 00:34:23:01

to help companies

achieve ecological transformations.

 

00:34:23:04 - 00:34:23:22

Great.

 

00:34:23:22 - 00:34:27:06

And equally all pro cycle

boxes are providing these really simple,

 

00:34:27:06 - 00:34:30:09

effective ways

to recycle more hard to recycle materials

 

00:34:31:03 - 00:34:33:21

that helps businesses

make much more sustainable choices.

 

00:34:34:00 - 00:34:36:09

So overall, I think it's about us

 

00:34:36:22 - 00:34:40:03

having time with customers and,

then being able to sit down

 

00:34:40:03 - 00:34:42:09

and work for the different packages

and different opportunities

 

00:34:42:09 - 00:34:45:11

that we have support

not only the legislative changes

 

00:34:45:21 - 00:34:48:23

but also these hard to recycle materials

that they find themselves with anyway,

 

00:34:51:07 - 00:34:52:11

Fabulous.

 

00:34:53:01 - 00:34:58:02

So much so many opportunities

and so many options to all those problems.

 

00:34:58:02 - 00:34:58:23

Thank you for that.

 

00:35:00:15 - 00:35:03:12

But Maddie, I think you mentioned earlier,

you say now,

 

00:35:03:12 - 00:35:06:07

you know, it's a system,

a whole system approach.

 

00:35:06:17 - 00:35:10:12

So I'm interested, you know, that's

what we're asking the producers to do.

 

00:35:10:13 - 00:35:13:21

What Veolia doing, what Veolia preparing

 

00:35:13:21 - 00:35:15:10

to do to help.

 

00:35:17:07 - 00:35:20:16

I think to be honest,

I think Andy just summed up quite well

 

00:35:20:16 - 00:35:22:06

some elements of what we're aiming

 

00:35:22:06 - 00:35:25:09

to prepare to do turning legislation

into business strategies,

 

00:35:25:09 - 00:35:27:24

helping our clients understand

the packaging formats,

 

00:35:27:24 - 00:35:32:02

how they can put more recyclable packaging

on the market, but also in relation

 

00:35:32:02 - 00:35:36:05

to packaging types where they can bring

in recycled content difficult.

 

00:35:36:05 - 00:35:38:24

So that's attacking them, turning,

 

00:35:39:16 - 00:35:43:00

making our HP pellets

and turning into new build.

 

00:35:43:00 - 00:35:45:21

But also there's a lot of innovation

opportunities

 

00:35:45:21 - 00:35:46:22

that we've been doing already.

 

00:35:46:22 - 00:35:48:24

But obviously, like we said,

 

00:35:48:24 - 00:35:52:13

there's been a lot of understanding

of the reforms now, but a lot will start

 

00:35:52:13 - 00:35:57:17

to move into an implementation phase

where we we are looking at investment,

 

00:35:57:17 - 00:36:01:13

expanding infrastructure

to a cost recycling chain

 

00:36:02:08 - 00:36:05:10

and that will be a key priority

to increasing

 

00:36:05:10 - 00:36:09:00

domestic recycling, both kind of

for the whole of the UK as a whole.

 

00:36:09:00 - 00:36:12:23

But also supporting our customers

in that and meeting their sustainability

 

00:36:12:23 - 00:36:13:21

goals as well.

 

00:36:15:17 - 00:36:17:03

Equally,

 

00:36:17:03 - 00:36:19:18

I would kind of go over this again

because on these kind of looking at what

 

00:36:19:19 - 00:36:22:01

the impacts on our customers

are approaching

 

00:36:22:01 - 00:36:24:03

volatility,

that's a big element of what we do.

 

00:36:24:03 - 00:36:26:13

So I don't want any to repeat

that so much.

 

00:36:26:13 - 00:36:29:24

But the other key element is obviously

this is a very live issue.

 

00:36:30:06 - 00:36:32:18

It's still going through

 

00:36:32:18 - 00:36:35:11

this elements of regulation which are not

 

00:36:36:18 - 00:36:38:22

confirmed yet that haven't

 

00:36:38:22 - 00:36:41:17

processed

through the parliamentary process yet.

 

00:36:42:03 - 00:36:44:11

There's a lot of kind of uncertainty.

 

00:36:44:11 - 00:36:46:12

So I'd say the other element

that we're doing

 

00:36:46:12 - 00:36:49:17

is we're continuing to engage

with our industry groups,

 

00:36:50:04 - 00:36:54:02

with government, civil servants,

to kind of

 

00:36:54:24 - 00:36:59:03

relay our kind of view of the challenges

and opportunities for the farms,

 

00:36:59:03 - 00:37:03:21

because ultimately the the key will the

the vision and the principles is

 

00:37:03:24 - 00:37:06:14

is really good

and it's getting that design element,

 

00:37:06:14 - 00:37:08:10

the implementation

and the enforcement right.

 

00:37:08:10 - 00:37:11:16

And that's a really key one

that we need to kind of look at next steps

 

00:37:11:16 - 00:37:15:12

and putting a lot of work to engage

on that to ensure that the reforms

 

00:37:16:11 - 00:37:18:20

work, to support the whole value chain.

 

00:37:18:20 - 00:37:20:02

I think the

 

00:37:21:02 - 00:37:22:19

facts. Maddie Thank you.

 

00:37:22:19 - 00:37:25:20

I'm going to come around

you all now, Chris, and the money.

 

00:37:25:20 - 00:37:29:19

And I'm going to ask you

one final question before I open the floor

 

00:37:29:19 - 00:37:33:18

and ask any questions from our viewers

and listeners.

 

00:37:34:24 - 00:37:37:13

My question to you is this

 

00:37:37:13 - 00:37:39:18

What is your one piece of advice

 

00:37:40:07 - 00:37:42:24

you would give to a packaging producer?

 

00:37:43:09 - 00:37:45:18

Chris You know.

 

00:37:45:18 - 00:37:49:10

I think it's understanding

your on the flow of the packaging

 

00:37:49:14 - 00:37:54:06

around your business into your business

and out of the front end as well.

 

00:37:54:15 - 00:37:56:00

So that would be my advice.

 

00:37:56:00 - 00:37:59:10

Data data on the well if you go

 

00:38:00:24 - 00:38:03:20

for me, I think you know,

think about the end destination

 

00:38:04:01 - 00:38:08:02

just because something's recyclable,

it doesn't mean it can't be recycled.

 

00:38:08:02 - 00:38:08:22

It's a really important,

 

00:38:10:12 - 00:38:11:11

you know,

 

00:38:11:11 - 00:38:14:19

constant topic of conversation

in our house.

 

00:38:15:12 - 00:38:17:24

Maddie, what's your one piece of advice?

 

00:38:19:20 - 00:38:22:13

I've spoken about it a few times,

but thinking about

 

00:38:22:24 - 00:38:24:08

collaboration, collaboration

 

00:38:24:08 - 00:38:27:09

and the whole value chain,

looking at your customers, your consumers,

 

00:38:27:18 - 00:38:30:10

making sure you're helping them

to make smart choices,

 

00:38:30:18 - 00:38:34:01

but also working with other elements

of the value chain, for instance,

 

00:38:34:02 - 00:38:37:02

the waste management recycling,

so you understand the packaging formats

 

00:38:37:13 - 00:38:40:22

and that you're putting on the market

ensure that they can recycle.

 

00:38:42:15 - 00:38:43:20

Thank you.

 

00:38:43:24 - 00:38:47:12

I'm aware of the time,

so I'm only got the opportunity to ask one

 

00:38:47:12 - 00:38:54:14

question from from our viewers,

and I think I'm going to push it to you.

 

00:38:54:14 - 00:38:57:11

And it's a great question from Katie

Heath.

 

00:38:58:01 - 00:39:00:04

Katie, you make a really good point.

 

00:39:00:04 - 00:39:01:13

And what I want Andy to address,

 

00:39:02:16 - 00:39:05:22

identify packaging can be designed out,

identifying

 

00:39:05:22 - 00:39:10:02

where packaging can be designed out

completely is really important.

 

00:39:10:05 - 00:39:11:04

You make a good point.

 

00:39:11:04 - 00:39:14:05

Reuse is and recycling

isn't the top of the waste hierarchy.

 

00:39:14:13 - 00:39:16:24

Andy, what do you think?

 

00:39:16:24 - 00:39:17:24

Yeah, yeah.

 

00:39:17:24 - 00:39:19:15

Thanks more and thanks for the question.

 

00:39:19:15 - 00:39:22:14

I think really important one

to note. Yes, absolutely.

 

00:39:22:14 - 00:39:28:02

As part of the kind of understanding

of packaging before we get to that point

 

00:39:28:02 - 00:39:32:00

of really designed in it for recycling,

we should be asking the question.

 

00:39:32:00 - 00:39:33:08

It should be coming out in the data.

 

00:39:33:08 - 00:39:36:19

Once you start to identify materials

that are challenging,

 

00:39:36:24 - 00:39:41:19

ask the question on to supply chains, ask

the question, is this really necessary

 

00:39:41:19 - 00:39:42:24

of these packaging?

 

00:39:42:24 - 00:39:46:05

Can we reduce can we reduce the amount

of packaging there?

 

00:39:46:05 - 00:39:47:16

Can we change the type?

 

00:39:47:16 - 00:39:48:20

If it's essential that we change?

 

00:39:48:20 - 00:39:51:00

This obviously can definitely be recycled,

but absolutely.

 

00:39:51:00 - 00:39:53:00

First, the first question, do we need it?

 

00:39:53:00 - 00:39:55:13

Do we need a particularly around

some of our secondary

 

00:39:55:17 - 00:39:57:06

and shipping packaging those questions

 

00:39:57:06 - 00:40:01:05

of reducing that, removing

packaging out of that process, really.

 

00:40:01:08 - 00:40:02:13

What a great point. Katie, thanks.

 

00:40:04:07 - 00:40:05:03

Thanks. And

 

00:40:05:21 - 00:40:09:24

we could talk about this topic for hours

and often in Kingswood Towers.

 

00:40:09:24 - 00:40:11:03

We do.

 

00:40:11:03 - 00:40:14:10

Hopefully that snapshot has given

everybody watching a clearer

 

00:40:14:10 - 00:40:17:20

overview of what

the new legislation will mean to them

 

00:40:18:06 - 00:40:22:08

and what they need to do now

to ensure continued compliance.

 

00:40:23:16 - 00:40:26:04

Please do click the link in the comments

to fill in the following

 

00:40:26:04 - 00:40:30:06

if you're interested in finding out more

about Veolia Packaging Compliance Scheme,

 

00:40:30:24 - 00:40:34:12

any of our Ecodesign solutions,

or if you would like to keep up to date

 

00:40:34:20 - 00:40:39:24

on the latest results and waste strategy

developments For next time,

 

00:40:40:06 - 00:40:43:13

we'll be joined by an expert

from our industrial side of the business,

 

00:40:43:19 - 00:40:45:09

David Beavan.

 

00:40:45:14 - 00:40:47:18

He's going to be talking

about decarbonisation

 

00:40:48:06 - 00:40:51:14

and how we can support businesses

to reduce their carbon footprint.

 

00:40:52:13 - 00:40:53:10

Please

 

00:40:53:10 - 00:40:55:17

tune in again on the 6th of June

at 2 p.m..

 

00:40:56:13 - 00:41:00:12

In the meantime, visit

veolia.co.uk/podcast-hub

 

00:41:07:17 - 00:41:10:07

to listen to all episodes of Ask

the Expert

 

00:41:10:20 - 00:41:13:03

as well as our new customer

podcast series.

 

00:41:13:14 - 00:41:15:15

Thank you. Goodbye.

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