Plastic recycling requires a joint approach
Public interest in the environmental impact of plastics, one of the most highly visible, voluminous packaging materials in the UK, has led to an intense media campaign against plastic bags and put plastic recycling firmly on the political agenda.
The public has demonstrated its appetite to do the right thing where recycling and, to a lesser extent, waste reduction, are concerned. Consequently, local authorities face questions about recycling infrastructure on a daily basis – the most pointed question asked of them often being: “Why can’t I recycle all of my plastic packaging?”
It is a reasonable question: the public desire to recycle is more than matched by the desire to use plastic within the packaging sector. The UK annual consumption of plastic is estimated to be over 5 million tonnes, and is growing at a rate of 1.5 per cent each year. Plastic offers packaging designers many benefits - it can be moulded into complex shapes, and specified to produce cost effective and efficient packaging.
The strengths of this packaging material, however, are also its weaknesses from a recycling perspective. The low bulkdensity of plastic and the varied types of polymer used make it expensive to transport and make sorting vital, adding costs to collection and reprocessing.
As part of its work to promote resource efficiency, RAY recently published data on local authority plastic recycling rates in Yorkshire and Humber, which showed that in 2006/07 recycling was up by 58 per cent on the previous year. All Yorkshire and Humber collection authorities now provide some form of household plastic collection service, with over half offering access to collection at kerbside. Co-mingled collections are responsible for 37 per cent of collected material.{mosimage}
These findings reflect the trend in UK household plastic recycling. From an environmental perspective, this progress is significant - life cycle analysis shows that for every tonne of plastic diverted from landfill to recycling, 1.5 - 2 tonnes of CO2 emissions are saved. Diverting three tonnes of plastic (or 60,000 plastic bottles) from landfill saves the equivalent of an average household’s annual CO2 emissions.
But collection growth must continue. Bottle to bottle recycling is rapidly developing in the UK. This new market is
battling to secure greater supplies and this competitive demand will translate into increased value for collected bottles. Combined with public demand, compatibility with alternate weekly collections and local authority carbon
management programmes, this growth in value makes for a compelling case for investment in expanded bottle collection. As well as greater coverage, increased collection efficiency is required. Engaging households through targeted communication campaigns will prove crucial for achieving high capture rates and reducing contamination.
So what about the remaining plastics in the household waste stream? There are a limited number of local authorities
collecting mixed non-bottle plastic in the UK and in many cases export markets remain their primary outlet. This material will become a greater priority for local authorities if waste strategy targets of 50 per cent recycling/composting by 2020 are to be met.{mosimage}
To make full use of mixed non-bottle plastics, further investment and development is required. Non-bottle
material must first of all be separated from bottles and this has implications for collection and sorting systems. Long-term outlets are required to turn the non-bottle material into worthwhile products. RAY is working with innovative manufacturers to ensure that high-value useful products are developed from this material. Securing demand for recycled content products is also vital and local authorities can play a significant role in stimulating demand by incorporating recycled content targets into their procurement strategies.
The plastic recycling sector is still a growing industry in the UK and it will take time to establish the infrastructure for us to be able to answer “You can!” to consumers asking: “Why can’t I recycle all of my plastic packaging?” A joint approach is required to achieve this - an approach that recognises the responsibility of all stakeholders in the recycling supply chain, from manufacturers to retailers, consumers, collectors and recyclers. RAY’s work in Yorkshire and Humber aims to foster such an approach and continue the increase in plastic recycling rates.
