The new annual targets in the packaging Regulations, set until 2010, will see businesses recycling and recovering ever increasing amounts of paper, glass, aluminium, steel, plastic and wood packaging waste.

As well as announcing new targets, Defra has also confirmed a number of additional changes to the regulations which will keep the burdens on individual businesses lower than they might otherwise be.

The changes include a new obligation on franchisors, licensors and pub operating businesses.

Ben Bradshaw, Local Environmental Quality Minister said that these measures would help to ensure that the UK could meet its legally binding European obligations by 2008.

"Businesses have achieved a significant increase in the amount of recycling carried out since the regulations were introduced in 1997: recycling of packaging waste has nearly doubled since then. We want to ensure that packaging waste recycling and recovery keeps on its current upward trend".

Mr Bradshaw highlighted that by bringing in more businesses, costs will be shared more equitably among all the businesses involved and will keep their individual recovery and recycling targets lower than they might otherwise be.

The changes announced today are subject to Parliamentary approval.

For more information, including a detailed description of the changes and background information on the regulations themselves, please see www.defra.gov.uk, the Welsh Assembly Government website www.countryside.wales.gov.uk or the Scottish Executive website www.scotland.gov.uk

Packaging recovery and recycling business targets (%)