RECOUP, a U.K.-based plastics recycling authority, has released the 2014 UK Household Plastics Collection Survey. It is the 20th year the authority has published the research report, based on surveys of the U.K.’s 406 collection authorities.
The report provides an in-depth review of the services in place to collect household plastics for recycling in the U.K.
According to RECOUP, the increase in U.K. plastics recycling since 1994 has been dramatic, with 464,433 metric tons of plastics packaging being collected from U.K. households in 2013, an increase of 24,000 metric tons, or almost 6 percent, from the previous year. (see chart on right)
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Plastics collected in the UK in 2013. |
The report also notes that recycling of bottles in the U.K. is plateauing, and that 66 percent of local authorities are interested in running--or are planning—a plastics recycling communications campaign to increase the recycling of plastic bottles.
“Consumer communications have very much risen to the fore of strategic thinking, and it’s encouraging to see the plans and demand to run plastics recycling communications campaigns,” observes Steve Morgan, RECOUP technical manager.
The report finds that there has been an 11 percent increase in collection levels for plastic pots, tubs and trays, equating to 14,000 more metric tons.
RECOUP says once 75 percent of the U.K.’s 406 collection authorities collect plastic pots, tubs and trays, On Pack Recycling Labels (OPRL) messaging can be updated from “check local recycling” to “widely recycled.” Currently, around 271 local authorities collect these plastics, RECOUP says.