Why collect plastic bottles?
There are many compelling reasons for collecting plastic bottles or improving the effectiveness of your existing collection scheme.
Processor demand
The market demand for plastic bottles is higher than ever, with recycling capacity expected to increase significantly in the next few years.
Householder demand
More and more householders are recycling at home and many are demanding a convenient plastic bottle scheme. For some councils this can be an improved bring scheme, and for others this is a new kerbside initiative.
Increasing value
Generally, polymer prices are increasing, making collection more affordable than ever. A typical income from a kerbside plastic collection scheme is £150 - £280 per tonne of mixed baled plastic bottles.1
See how other local authorities have implemented cost-effective schemes, and learn how they improved their schemes.
Environmental benefits
Collecting plastic bottles delivers real environmental benefits. It saves valuable materials from landfill and potentially reduces CO2 emissions. It’s also more energy efficient to use recycled plastics than virgin material when making new products.
Meet your targets
Adding plastic bottles to your collection schemes can help you meet your recycling targets. Some local authorities have increased the recovery rates of all of their collected materials by adding plastic bottles to existing schemes, while increasing householder communications around the scheme.
1 ICIS pricing report, January 2007
