Survey shows state of UK plastics recycling ahead of legislation overhaul

Plastics recycling charity, RECOUP, has released the full version of the 2020 RECOUP UK Household Plastic Packaging Survey report, ahead of consultations.

The Survey highlights that the UK saw a 2% increase in collected household plastics, up to 560kt in 2019. Positive news for some, but actual recycling rates remain stagnant, in part due to the failure in capturing and recycling the significant quantities of plastic film and flexibles from households.

In 2021, the UK is set to see several consultations that will affect the plastics supply chain, including:

• Consistent Collections from 2023 (England only)
• Deposit Return Scheme from 2022 (Scotland only) and 2023 (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland)
• Extended Producer Responsibility in 2023 (UK)
• Plastic Packaging Tax in 2023 (UK)

Consistent Collections
For the first time, all 382 UK Local Authorities collect plastic bottles for recycling at the kerbside. Additionally, the number which collect plastic pots, tubs and trays has increased to 85%.

However, the number collecting films and flexibles has dropped to 14%. At the same time, discussions centred around whether plastic films and flexibles should be included in the material set for Consistent Collections in England, have drawn greater focus on how to best capture and recycle this material.

The Survey reports that there are still widespread inconsistencies in relation to presenting materials, including the basic messages as to whether to remove or keep lids on plastic bottles.

Deposit Return Schemes
With the pending implementation of Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) across the UK, the impact on Local Authorities and the value of the plastics within their kerbside waste streams is of some concern. As DRS are likely to remove a significant quantity, if not majority of high quality, valuable PET bottles from their waste streams.

Exports
For several years, it has been reported that foreign markets, particularly China and other Asian countries, have begun to reject poor quality material shipped from developed countries.

In 2021, both the Environment Agency and Basel Agreement have made amendments to the quality of exports they will allow, with contamination and mixes of material types being clamped down on at the point of export. This, in combination with other changes to investment and legislation, including how money raised through Extended Producer Responsibility, will grow the infrastructure to allow the UK to manage its own waste plastics.

COVID-19
Despite the impact of COVID-19 not directly affecting the data for 2019-20, Local Authorities reported significant disruption in 2020. This ranged from increases of around 20% in material collected at kerbside offset by huge drops in commercial and on-the-go collections, service disruption to kerbside collections and widespread closures of Household Waste Recycling Centres.

The RECOUP Survey also reports an increase in fly-tipping and litter during the first lockdown period, potentially linked to the reduction in available waste collections.