A TRIAL THAT could see the introduction of flexible laminate packaging such as food and drink pouches to mainstream recycling, is now underway in three London Boroughs.
Backed by major food and drink brands, the project was first announced in June by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The trial will over 260 households, and is believed to be the first major step towards assessment the potential to include flexible laminated packaging to nationwide recycling schemes.
The scheme aims to test methods of collection and also the ways in which recycling service users engage on the subject.
The scheme is being implemented by a series of partners including Enval, which estimates that the UK uses more than 160,000 tonnes of flexible laminate packaging each year, containing more than 17,000 tonnes of aluminium. If a recycling solution can be found for flexible laminates, life cycle analysis indicates it to be a highly sustainable packaging solution as well as a substantial commercial opportunity, worth up to £200m in Europe a year.
