ENVIRONMENT / NEWS PrintMonthly printmonthly PrintMonthlyMagazine 12 email: editor@printmonthly.co.uk January / February 2025 - Issue 352 The Love Paper initiative, which is run by non-profit organisation Two Sides, has announced the first official Love Paper Week, taking place in February of next year. Launched in 2012, Love Paper is a global campaign promoting the sustainable and attractive attributes of print, paper, and paper packaging. During the week, which will run from February 3rd to 7th, professionals from the printing and paper industries will be encouraged to promote the benefits of paper, with a particular focus on its sustainability. Assets and resources will be provided by Love Paper and Two Sides for the industry to use on social media and through other company communications. This will include social media messages, graphics, videos, and email footers. Love Paper hopes to use the event to dispel common misconceptions relating to paper, print, and paper packaging. Speaking of Love Paper Week, Josh Birch, campaign manager for Two Sides UK, says: “We encourage all printers, paper merchants, packaging manufacturers, and all those who operate within the sector to support Love Paper Week and use the materials available to inform their clients, customers, and consumers more widely, why paper is such a sustainable, effective, and attractive medium. “While the first year will have modest activity, the goal is to grow it year on year to be a truly recognised week amongst the industry, businesses, and consumers alike. We want to mobilise everyone in the world of paper, from direct mail and print publishers, to sack paper and corrugated card, to celebrate Love Paper Week.” Industry professionals in print, paper, and packaging wishing to take part in the event have been encouraged to visit the Love Paper website, where further information and resources can be found. Two Sides launch Love Paper Week 2025 According to Love Paper, Europe's paper recycling rate was 70.5% in 2022 and is approaching the practical maximum recycling rate of 78% The UK government has reversed a mandatory takeback scheme for single-use cups introduced by the previous Conservative government, citing limited environmental benefits and high costs. The takeback scheme was backed by companies across the UK retail and packaging industries but was already delayed, having originally been planned to come into effect in 2024. The proposed scheme would have obligated businesses with at least ten full-time staff members that supply drinks in fibrebased composite cups to supply a bin on their premises to collect the used cups. The companies would then need to make arrangements for recycling and report the weight of cups sold and collected to the regulator. In a statement sent out to the press, a DEFRA spokesperson says: "Analysis has shown the mandatory takeback scheme for cups proposed by the previous government would not have the intended impact on boosting recycling rates and reducing litter. It would cost £52m to the government and industry, placing unnecessary burdens on businesses." Materials and packaging company, James Cropper, has responded to the Government’s decision and expressed its disappointment. Rob Tilsley, fibre operations group leader at James Cropper, says: “It was hoped that the scheme would increase recycling rates from 2.8% to approximately 40% — a huge increase considering there are an estimated 3.2 billion cups in circulation in the UK each year.” Tilsley cites cup collection as the key factor behind recycling rates remaining low. He states: “At James Cropper, we have the capacity to recycle up to 750 million PE-lined cups a year. Currently we are nowhere near that. “It’s not the recycling of the cups that’s the problem - all paper cups used on the UK high street could be recycled. It’s the collection of the cups that is preventing progress.” UK Government U-turns on national recycling scheme Analysis from waste management company Reconomy suggested that a mandatory takeback scheme could have increased recycling volumes, reduced contamination, and cut carbon emissions By Jonathan Pert By Jonathan Pert
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