Welcome to Green Alliance's podcast. We are the charity and think tank that is all about achieving

ambitious leadership for the environment. I'm Libby Peake, Senior Policy Advisor on Resource Stewardship.

In this event, we launched our new report, closing the loop, which outlines four steps to nearly

100% aluminium packaging recycling. The report is a reminder that plastic isn't the only material

and demonstrates what can be achieved through ambitious policymaking.

This event took place shortly after government launched four substantial consultations

aiming to reboot the UK recycling system,

which is currently stalling at best and failing at worst.

The consultations deal with overhauling the producer responsibility regime, bringing in

consistent recycling collections, introducing a deposit return scheme on drinks containers, and

taxing plastic packaging. So, how can we design a recycling system in the UK that actually works?

To discuss all of this, we gathered a panel of different voices from within the resources and waste sector

to hopefully reach some consensus.

And, as we were nearly halfway through the consultation period, there was mutual agreement that we needed to work fast.

Our chair for the afternoon was Julie Hill, Green Alliance Associate and Chair of Rapp.

Over to her. This is a subject very dear to my heart. I've been associated with Green Alliance

in one capacity or another for now more than 35 years. And I've had an interest in this subject

for, I think, more than 20. and I can honestly say that in all that time we have never seen such an unprecedented level of political commitment to advancing this agenda.

Also an unprecedented set of propositions about actual policy instruments.

This is a combination that, of course, is very welcome.

But it does pose us some really difficult challenges

in terms of working out how all this fits together.

...