Time for Tetra Pak recyling in Brighton and Hove say Greens

13 November 2007

Free Tetra Pak recycling in Brighton & Hove could be a step closer after the Green Party persuaded the Tory administration to agree to look into a special no-cost scheme.

Green sustainability spokesperson, Cllr Paul Steedman, told the Environment Committee (Thurs 8 November) that more and more residents want to recycle more household items, with plastic containers, food waste and ‘Tetra Paks’ at the top of the list.

He particularly emphasised trade association, ACE UK’s (Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment UK) free offer to local authorities of a fully paid-for carton bring back scheme.

Brighton & Hove is lagging behind other local authorities in the area who take advantage of the scheme to provide free ‘Tetra Pak’ recycling for their residents.

The Greens presented the available possibilities in a report to the Environment Committee. Further details are available at www.tetrapakrecycling.co.uk/authorities.asp.

Councillor Steedman, said, “Residents have been calling for this step for years. If the offer is there, and it’s free, and people want it, what’s stopping us?

"It takes us a step closer to our ultimate aim of zero waste, and helps reduce landfill taxes, which in turn saves taxpayers’ money.

"And all that in addition to the obvious environmental benefits, which are all the more salient right now in light of the Tories’ support for the incinerator at Newhaven.”

Although the schemes only guarantee processing of the cartons within the EU, the organisers plan to bring this to the UK in the medium term. As such, there may be some sustainability trade-offs in terms of carbon emissions from transport, etc.

Enrolling all residents in the idea of Tetra Pak recycling could make such trade-offs acceptable, even in the short term.

The council agreed to look into the scheme and will report back to the Environment Committee.


Notes to editors:

For further information, contact Lizzie Deane, External Communications Co-ordinator, or 07899 843206

In the South East a number of authorities are already taking advantage of this scheme.

• Arun District, Horsham District, and Eastbourne Borough councils each had five bins provided by Tetra Pak during the summer this year for the beginning of a two-year pilot. Wealden & Chichester councils also have Tetra Pak recycling facilities.

• Mid Sussex District Council collects Tetra Paks from the kerbside, and takes them to a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Kent along with all their other recycle waste to be sorted.

• Worthing and Adur local authorities are also beginning to roll out a new recycling programme which will include Tetra Paks.

• A new MRF has opened at Ford in West Sussex.


[ENDS]