10181934STOP (Stamp out Plastic fraud) - New way to determine recycled content in PETClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKThe UK plastic recycling sector has reached a point of crisis with the British Plastics Federation estimating that the sector has already lost 260,000t/a of capacity and likely to loose more. Ironically the Plastic Packaging Tax which was introduced to help support the UK's plastic packaging sector transition to being more circular has been significantly defrauded and hence is actually contributing to the sector's demise. Whilst numerous attempts have been made there is currently no definitive way of testing for the presence or absence of plastic recycled content. Fraud estimates are based on anecdotal and secondary information, neither of which are strong enough to merit action on the behalf of HMRC or support legal action. The intention of this feasibility project is to develop and provisionally test a definitive test protocol that can determine the presence of recycled PET in virgin PET which would be highly innovative and be a fundamental step in prosecuting cases of evasion of the plastic packaging tax as well as to allow an accurate assessment of the total level of PPT evasion and so help inform an appropriate response. The intended test method/s whilst requiring certain analytical capabilities are relatively common and routinely available in most PET resin producers and contract test houses. The intended test methods are laboratory based but are not unduly lengthy, complex or expensive. This project will feature RECOUP as a subcontract as well as benefiting from the guidance and support of the British Plastics Federation and Indorama, one of the world's largest PET resin producers. If successful the intention would be to seek further funding from elsewhere to expand this approach to other resin types commonly used in packaging (PE and PP). By providing a definitive way of determining recycled content in plastics this feasibility study will provide a key tool to stamp out PPT fraud and so help assist with giving the UK plastics recycling sector a more sustainable future.