RECYCLING PLASTIC PACKAGING IN THE UK – WHO OWNS THE BOTTLENECK?

Plastics resource efficiency and recycling charity, RECOUP, has published its 2022 UK Plastic Packaging Sorting & Reprocessing Infrastructure report, which found there is a clear bottleneck in the UK’s recycling infrastructure for plastic recycling.

The report, available to all RECOUP members, highlights the UK’s ability to sort both household and non-consumer plastic packaging from other materials into separate plastic streams, and to reprocess it into raw materials and products.

RECOUP mapped the recycling facilities and researched the operational capacities in order to produce a number of scenarios to compare the requirements for recycled plastic packaging against the UK’s ability to produce the material. The scenarios looked at benchmarks set by both the UK Plastic Packaging Tax and if material export markets were no longer an option, something the UK relies heavily on to achieve its recycling targets.

This research found that significant increases are required for reprocessing plastic packaging in the UK. This includes the need to increase the current recycling infrastructure by five times for household-like plastic packaging and nine times for food grade plastic packaging. Unless resolving this reprocessing bottleneck is given the necessary priority and investment, and ultimately, ownership, the UK will not be able to claim it has a world-leading recycling system.

RECOUP believes it is imperative that adequate funding through the reform of the UK’s Packaging Producer Responsibility System (otherwise known as Extended Producer Responsibility) goes to the right areas. The reprocessing infrastructure needs significant investment and support, particularly when these businesses are open to variable commercial conditions, such as increased energy costs and reduced material value.

Steve Morgan, Head of Policy and Infrastructure at RECOUP, commented: “The future of the UK’s recycling solutions for plastic packaging is in its own hands, but I’m afraid we might let slip this perfect opportunity to channel appropriate funding into the high impact areas that could transform the UK’s infrastructure capabilities. Effective collection and material sorting to deliver high-quality recycling outputs is essential, but we are at risk around not supporting the reprocessing sector. The capacity to produce the final raw materials to enable a circular economy to exist will just not be in place.”

As the UK looks to navigate its way through the many changing environmental policies, RECOUP continues to provide expertise and guidance for the plastics recycling value chain and policymakers. For information about becoming a RECOUP member, please contact enquiry@recoup.org.

CHELTENHAM & S. GLOS JOIN UK’s BIGGEST FLEXIBLE PLASTIC HOUSEHOLD COLLECTION & RECYCLING PILOT

RECOUP is proud to be among the working partners in the Flexible Plastic Fund (FPF) FlexCollect project, which also includes Ecosurety, Defra, Suez, UKRI SSPP, LARAC, WRAP and Zero Waste Scotland.

Our role is in two key areas – researching and finding end markets and completing material composition analysis on collected flexible film material.

PRESS RELEASE

Cheltenham and South Gloucestershire join the UK’s biggest flexible plastic household collection and recycling pilot.

Cheltenham and South Gloucestershire are the first local authorities to agree to trial kerbside collections of flexible plastic packaging under the Flexible Plastic Fund (FPF) FlexCollect project.

Cheltenham Borough Council already launched trial collections on 7 October 2022 while the South Gloucestershire pilot collections will begin on 17 October 2022 with approximately 2,000 selected households from parts of Bradley Stoke, Chipping Sodbury, Alveston and Olveston, providing them with greater accessibility for the collection and recycling of their flexible plastics.

Launched last May, FPF FlexCollect is the most extensive pilot for household collection and recycling of flexible packaging to be undertaken in the UK. Up to nine councils are to participate voluntarily in the three-year project.

“We are thrilled to welcome Cheltenham and South Gloucestershire as our first pilot local authorities. This is a truly collaborative endeavour by a wide partnership of organisations with a critical interest in the outcomes, and we’re looking forward to working closely with everyone over the next three years to build an understanding of how the UK is going to, not only collect but also recycle flexible plastic packaging once EPR is introduced” said Gareth Morton, Ecosurety’s lead for the project.

A pioneer phase to kick off

The project will run in two phases. South Gloucestershire Council and Cheltenham Borough Council are now part of the pioneer phase which involves a series of innovative flexible plastics household collection and recycling pilots across four local authorities. The second phase will see five more local authorities joining the project in 2023 to build on the gained knowledge.

Collaborative effort

The FPF FlexCollect project is co-funded by the Flexible Plastic Fund, Defra, UKRI’s Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge (SSPP), RECOUP and Zero Waste Scotland. The pilot is delivered by SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK, Ecosurety, WRAP and RECOUP.

Trudy Harrison, Resources and Waste Minister, said: “We know consumers want to do the right thing and these two local authorities are leading the way in ensuring more plastic film and flexible packaging is recycled.

“This innovative project will provide valuable evidence to support our proposals to roll out nationwide collections of plastic film from all households and businesses.

“This builds on our plans for major waste reforms which will boost recycling rates and create jobs in the waste management sector – driving real sustainable growth for the economy.”

Thomas Merry, Technical Development Manager for SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, the project managers for FPF FlexCollect, said: “A great deal of work by all partners has gone into getting these first collections off the ground in Cheltenham and South Gloucestershire and we’re delighted to see local residents embracing the opportunity to recycle more of their plastic packaging.

“Whilst Government finalises the detail of its waste reforms, the pilot is gathering valuable insights that will ease the way for the widespread roll-out of collections of flexible plastic packaging, which will not only help to increase our recycling rate but also help to decarbonise our residual waste.”

PET TRAYS HIGHLIGHTED IN RECOUP’S FLAGSHIP ‘RECYCLABILITY BY DESIGN’ GUIDE

Plastics resource and recycling charity, RECOUP, launch the 2023 edition of the popular ‘Recyclability By Design’ publication, the essential guide for all those involved in the development and design of plastic packaging.

The 2023 issue, launched at the RECOUP Annual Conference, not only includes all essential practical information and recommendations that plastic packaging designers and buyers require to ensure they are maximising the recyclability of plastic packaging and meeting recycling obligations, but also includes updated tables for PET trays, which have been revised with recommendations from recyclers in the UK and Europe.

The updated material specific guidelines for PET allows designers, brands and retailers to understand what is compatible, may be suitable and not suitable for recycling during the design process and the environmental implications of their design decisions, along with recommendations.

Paul East, Head of Packaging Recycling and Design at RECOUP commented “Recyclability by Design (RBD), remains such a unique publication because of the way it is produced. We have a Packaging Recyclability Team, RECOUP members from the waste management and recycling sectors, and the RBD Steering Committee, all providing their views and opinions. This is backed up by our own evidence and information from sorting trials, which we have carried out for the last 16 years.”

RECOUP members play a key role in contributing to the Recyclability by Design Report and RECOUP would like to thank the following members for their invaluable input:

• Klöckner Pentaplast (kp)
• Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC
• Packamama
• Berry Global
• Krehalon UK
• TOMRA Sorting Solutions
• Waddington Europe
• Faerch UK Ltd
• Logoplaste/Ecover
• Enval Ltd

If you would like to become a valued member of RECOUP, please contact Rebecca.davis@recoup.org or enquiry@recoup.org. Why Join RECOUP? – RECOUP Recycling

RECOUP CONFERENCE CEMENTS ITS PLACE AS THE ONE TO BEAT – YET AGAIN!

Plastics recycling charity, RECOUP, again proves its position as the number one conference in the plastics recycling and resources sector with another outstanding day of debate and presentations. Stuart Foster, CEO, of RECOUP in his address highlighted that “we live in a world demanding better environmental protection, circularity and sustainability whilst wanting to hold on to consumerism, low cost, convenience, growth and economic prosperity.” Foster reiterated that RECOUP, would continue to deliver the organisation’s aims with balance, integrity and evidence. He continued to announce that Morrisons was the latest company to join RECOUP and “if you are thinking of supporting RECOUP, now is the time.”

Tom Heap, of ‘Costing the Earth’ and BBC’s ‘Countryfile’ commented that it was an interesting time both politically and legislatively. Heap referred to the importance of legislation in relation to plastics recycling and resources.

With Heap’s direction, plastic packaging tax, tray-to-tray recycling, investment in chemical recycling, feedstock quality and circular economy principles were debated. All speakers repeated previous conference calls to increase and improve collaboration.

Hayley Lloyd-House, Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Nestlé Waters (UK) Ltd highlighted the positive joint work with RECOUP and drew attention to the ‘The 5 -pillar strategy’ aimed to Reduce, Re-use, & Refill, Redesign and Rethink behaviours.

The panel debated the lack of consistency in kerbside plastics collections and communications as well as UK recycling capacity. With mixed messaging and ‘wish’ recycling causing contamination and a call for the harmonisation of labelling.

Paula Chin, Senior Policy Advisor – Consumption at WWF set the scene in session two by stating that it was important that the sector use the “right material, in the right place and with the right approach.” Chin highlighted products such as disposable vapes and questioned why such products are placed on the market when there is clearly no end-of-life solution. Chin once again called on the delegates to appreciate that the only way forward was to reduce consumption.

Rowan Byrne, Marine Plastics Global Lead at Mott MacDonald commented on the issue of plastics in the natural environment particularly rivers and oceans, “to manage something you have to measure it” however, “the challenge with plastics in the environment is the issue gets bigger as plastics get smaller. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.” Byrne further highlighted that perhaps there should be a ban on wet wipes.

RECOUP launched a number of reports and projects at the event;

• A Best Practice Guide for UK Plastics Recycling Communications Best Practice Guide for UK Plastics Recycling Communications – RECOUP Recycling
• Recyclability by Design 2023 and case studies highlighting the importance of recyclability basic principles, material substitution concerns and work in the area of bacon and meat packaging.  www.recoup.org/design
• ESA Quality Standard for Recycled Plastics with support from the British Plastics Federation, Recycling Association and RECOUP, to define a quality standard for post-consumer recycling.

The afternoon panel was chaired by Sara Banning, Innovation Lead from Innovate UK – UKRI. The panel called for the importance of data to be used for accountability, the need for clear government signals and policies for reuse and prevention targets, a mindset shift towards circular economy and the common theme of the day, collaboration.

For more information about RECOUP, the work they do and how to join please contact www.recoup.org. Next years’ conference is on Thursday 28th September 2023.