Packaging chain nears deal to raise funds for recycling

The packaging industry is hastily working towards a final plan to meet the packaging waste management challenge thrown down by Environment Secretary John Gummer in July - although it now seems that the plan will not be finalised by the Christmas deadline. The work so far points to a charge on packaging paid at the filler/retailer interchange in order to raise funds, principally to support domestic waste recycling, although some producers are arguing for a landfill levy instead. Any levy would almost certainly require statutory backing - but Mr Gummer is apparently intent on keeping the mechanism on a voluntary footing at least in the short term.