Reporting on a year of strong activity for the BPF, Paul Jukes highlighted the Climate Change Agreement (CCA) for plastics processors as the BPF’s greatest achievement in 2009. This had equalised the trading position of plastics with those competing materials which had been awarded an agreement by government many years earlier, he explained.Two hundred and sixty-eight manufacturing sites are now part of the BPF CCA and this also brings significant environmental benefits. One thousand twenty two thousand tonnes of carbon will be saved by plastics processors if they reach the required 12% energy savings by the end of 2010. This is sufficient carbon to fill Wembley stadium 54 times over.
BPF director general, Peter Davis, told AGM attendees that much more needs to be done to achieve the goal of ‘a level playing field’ as he recounted misconceived attacks on plastics-related materials such as PVC, Bisphenol A and brominated flame retardants. He said that government had much to learn about the important role of plastics packaging in society and criticised the desire for unrealistically high recycling targets in the recent DEFRA Consultation on the UK’s Packaging Strategy.
Jukes said that a fundamental means of securing equal treatment for plastics in the future was through education. He commended the Polymer Study Tours for Teachers organised by the Worshipful Company of Horners and appealed for sponsoring companies from the plastics industry. The cost of sponsoring a teacher is £750.
