Recovery Targets
Government-set annual targets for the percentage of each packaging material that must be recycled or recovered. Targets are expressed as percentages and increase over time to drive higher recycling rates.
Recovery targets (also called business targets or recycling obligations) are the annually published targets that define what proportion of packaging waste must be recycled or recovered for each material type.
Targets cover:
- Material-specific recycling targets — separate targets for plastic, paper, glass, aluminium, steel, and wood
- Overall recovery target — a minimum total recovery rate across all materials
- Recycling vs recovery — targets distinguish between material recycling and energy recovery
Targets are set by DEFRA and typically increase year-on-year to drive improvement. Individual producers must obtain enough PRNs and PERNs to demonstrate their share of the national target has been met. Compliance schemes manage this on behalf of their members. Failure to meet targets can result in enforcement action from the regulators.
Related Terms
Compliance Scheme
An approved organisation that manages EPR obligations on behalf of obligated pro...
Packaging Material
The physical material from which packaging is made. Under EPR, packaging must be...
Packaging Recovery Note
A tradeable certificate issued by accredited reprocessors proving that a tonne o...
Packaging Export Recovery Note
A certificate proving that packaging waste exported from the UK has been recycle...
DEFRA
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs — the UK government depar...
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