Mass balanced materials to count as recycled content in UK 
 

Posted on November 6, 2024 by DrRossH in General

Move aims to promote a circular economy for packaging recycling

Source: Mass balanced materials to count as recycled content in UK 
 | Sustainable Plastics

The use of pre-consumer waste as recycled plastic for the Plastic Packaging Tax will be barred.

The UK plans to introduce a definition of chemical recycling in line with the proposed definition by the European Coalition for Chemical Recycling, for the purpose of the tax, enabling  businesses to use a mass balance approach to account for recycled material produced from any technology or process that meets the definition of chemical recycling.
That said, the government also clearly stated that ‘chemical recycling is preferable to landfill or incineration, but that mechanical recycling is preferable when possible.’

With the use of Contains Recycled material claims, there needs to be rules that say it must be PCR not PIR.   The UK stipulates as shown above, that PIR canot be claimed to be recycled content.