The packaging recovery note (PRN) system should be extended to include the municipal waste stream to "encourage businesses and local authorities to work together", according to a Labour-leaning think tank.
The New Local Government Network's (NGLN) Time to Waste report, published yesterday (8 May), said the current system "did not necessarily encourage companies to address recycling issues internally" and meant taxpayers were financing collection, at least in part.
The report said including the municipal waste stream would mean businesses and local authorities would have to come together to "define the best solution to packaging".
The NLGN also said packaging recycling would be better served by financial incentives rather than punitive pay-as-you throw schemes for rubbish, and called for increased use of energy from waste (EfW).
It proposed reduced energy bills for those areas that agreed to the construction of an incineration plant, to help counter public reticence.
NLGN director Chris Leslie said increasing landfill taxes and local authority spending of waste called for a "new approach to the challenge from central government".
"None of the options are simple, but switching away from buying rubbish to creating energy from waste is the greenest, most efficient solution," he said.
Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Government Association environment board, said financial incentives should not penalise residents who were willing to recycle.
"There will be parts of the country where these schemes are not appropriate, but the final decision should be made by local councils in response to local need and in consultation with local people," he said.
The government is to press ahead with its five pilot schemes for waste charging, as outlined in the Climate Change Bill, but is keen to promote anaerobic digestion as means for waste disposal.
Speaking at the launch of a report into the UK's food waste, environment minister Joan Ruddock recognised the need for investment in infrastructure but said there was "a bright future" for anaerobic digestion.
"Where you can prevent waste in the first place, do so. Where you can't, you need to deal with it and energy recovery is one of the ways to make sense of waste," she said.
The New Local Government Network's (NGLN) Time to Waste report, published yesterday (8 May), said the current system "did not necessarily encourage companies to address recycling issues internally" and meant taxpayers were financing collection, at least in part.
The report said including the municipal waste stream would mean businesses and local authorities would have to come together to "define the best solution to packaging".
The NLGN also said packaging recycling would be better served by financial incentives rather than punitive pay-as-you throw schemes for rubbish, and called for increased use of energy from waste (EfW).
It proposed reduced energy bills for those areas that agreed to the construction of an incineration plant, to help counter public reticence.
NLGN director Chris Leslie said increasing landfill taxes and local authority spending of waste called for a "new approach to the challenge from central government".
"None of the options are simple, but switching away from buying rubbish to creating energy from waste is the greenest, most efficient solution," he said.
Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Government Association environment board, said financial incentives should not penalise residents who were willing to recycle.
"There will be parts of the country where these schemes are not appropriate, but the final decision should be made by local councils in response to local need and in consultation with local people," he said.
The government is to press ahead with its five pilot schemes for waste charging, as outlined in the Climate Change Bill, but is keen to promote anaerobic digestion as means for waste disposal.
Speaking at the launch of a report into the UK's food waste, environment minister Joan Ruddock recognised the need for investment in infrastructure but said there was "a bright future" for anaerobic digestion.
"Where you can prevent waste in the first place, do so. Where you can't, you need to deal with it and energy recovery is one of the ways to make sense of waste," she said.
Source: packagingnews
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