A coalition of plastic industry trade associations will today commit to doubling plastic packaging recycling rates by 2020, as part of a campaign designed to limit the amount of plastic waste being sent to landfill.

The Plastics 2020 Challenge has been organised by the British Plastics Federation, PlasticsEurope and the Packaging & Films Association, which together represent around 5,000 firms from across the plastic industry.

As part of the campaign, the groups have committed to promote the development of lightweight plastics, develop new means of reusing plastic products, work with the government and recylers to double recycling rates over the next decade, and support the roll out of waste-to-energy technologies where recycling is not viable.

The commitments were welcomed by Councillor Paul Bettison of the Local Government Association (LGA) who predicted the industry campaign would enjoy significant public support.

"It is very welcome to see the plastics industry come to the table with proposals to drive up plastic recycling rates as well as wider initiatives for resource efficiency," he said. "Consumers have shown high levels of support for recycling, and with the industry’s engagement I hope we see the challenge being met."

The new group was launched alongside research from the polling firm ComRes suggesting there is considerable scpeticism amongst local councillors over whether or not the government's targets for reducing the amoutn of waste going to landfill can be met.

The survey found that almost a third of councillors do not expect to meet the government's targets for recycling, composting and energy recovery next year while a similar proportion are unsure whether long term targets for 2015 and 2020 can be met.

Almost a fifth of councillors said that there was a high or very high risk that fines imposed by the EU for not meeting landfill targets would result in council tax rises, with 18 per cent warning that resulting tax increases could top five per cent.