UK Group Researching Scrap Plastic Exports

The goal of the study is to provide an accurate view on the impact that future exports will have on the plastics recycling industry in the United Kingdom.

The study will look at the world supply of recycled plastics to give context to the UK exports, and identify where trends in other countries may have an impact on the international market.

The report will cover major plastic waste streams currently traded, including scrap plastics from commercial and industrial sources, as well as packaging in the household waste stream, and plastic scrap that may be emerging due to new legislation such as WEEE and ELV.

“This study will inform all parties involved in plastics recycling in the UK and will help ensure that the future trends and risks are better understood, making more accurate planning and investment decisions possible,” explains Liz Goodwin, WRAP’s Director of Materials.

The key objectives of the work include:

*            mapping and assessment of the current export market for UK recovered plastics, including a description of the types of market served (e.g. end products), geographical destination, tonnes recycled, the types of plastics and the prices paid; 

*            projections for future demand for recovered plastic by each destination and material type over the next three, five and ten years;

*            projections for future UK growth of collection rates for plastics recyclate over the next three, five and ten years, under a number of different economic scenarios (e.g. consumption, government policy, legislative targets, etc.);

*            projections for future UK growth of domestic end markets for plastics recyclate over the next three, five and ten years, under a number of different economic scenarios (e.g. consumption, government policy, legislative targets, etc.);

*            assessment of the balance between collection and end markets for the next three, five and ten years;

*            identification and assessment of the uncertainties associated with the projections; and

*            identification and assessment of the risks associated with any of the key end markets (e.g. changes in indigenous processing capacity, future prices paid, etc.) and the balance between supply and demand and the possible mitigation measures that could be taken to address these risks.