One of the key drivers for change is government. In March 1997 the
Packaging Waste regulations came into force (see Fernie and Hart, 2001).
These are the UK government’s implementation of the requirements to
meet the EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste. The aim is to
recover at least 50 per cent of the annual packaging waste created in the
UK. The main obligations on retailers are to:
• register with the authorities or join a registered collective scheme;
• provide data on packaging handled, recovered and recycled;
• recover and recycle certain percentages of packaging waste;
• provide a Certificate of Compliance.