London Tries to Boost Plastic Bottle Recycling

Closed Loop Recycling, a U.K.-based plastic bottle recycling company, has launched a campaign that seeks to significantly boost the collection of plastic bottles in London. The campaign is being supported by London Mayor Boris Johnson, who says that around 1.4 million metric tons of post-consumer plastic in the United Kingdom is currently available for recycling.

Closed Loop says around 1.8 million metric tons of post consumer plastics are generated each year in the U.K, 580,000 metric tons of which consists of plastic bottles. Of that amount, around 300,000 metric tons of plastic bottles are land-filled each year, according to Closed Loop.

“Taking time to chuck your unwanted plastic bottles into the recycling bin, rather than your rubbish bin, is not only good for the environment, but great for our wallets too,” states Johnson in a news release.

“Recycling saves Londoners money, with the added bonus of creating jobs in London.”
The campaign coincides with the U.K.’s National Recycle Week, June 18-24. To capitalize on the week, Closed Loop has unveiled a logo and is promoting a “We Need Your Bottles” message that focuses on plastic bottle recycling.

“’We Need Your Bottles’ is all about educating people about the importance of mining Britain’s urban forest,” says Chris Dow, Closed Loop Recycling’s CEO. “Used plastic bottles are a valuable resource to the U.K. recycling industry, which has the knowledge and technology to recycle them for the future.”

As part of its campaign, Closed Loop Recycling is urging the government to review the current PRN/PERN (packaging waste recovery note/packaging waste export recovery note) system, saying that it favors overseas shipments versus domestic recycling. The company is asking for what it calls “a more level playing field.”