New Research Reveals Continued Growth in Plastic Bottle Recycling Rates
The findings of the 'UK Plastic Bottle Recycling Survey 2007' (2512 kb) ![[pdf]](/display_images/document_icons/pdf.gif){kind=icon}
indicate that UK collections are now performing at a rate of 132,000 tonnes per annum, which equates to 3,300 million plastic bottles. To put this increase into context, 25% of bottles in the household waste stream are now being collected for recycling, whereas in 2001 this figure stood at just 3%.
471 local authorities participated in the annual survey, helping to paint a comprehensive and accurate picture of plastic bottle recycling across the UK.
The survey revealed that a widespread shift towards kerbside collection has played a key role in increasing plastic bottle recycling rates – 60% (65% if not including WDAs) of local authorities now offer kerbside collection of plastic bottles, offering 13.9 million households the opportunity to recycle their plastic bottles at kerbside.
Bring schemes also remain popular, with 77% of local authorities offering these facilities. 50% of local authorities operate both bring and kerbside schemes.
Additional key findings revealed in the latest annual survey include:
- The average quantity of plastic bottles collected from households that are offered kerbside collection is now 7.5 kg/hh/annum (per household/per annum), an increase of 2 kg/hh/annum on last year.
- The highest performing kerbside schemes reported achieving in excess of 20kg/hh/annum of plastic bottles from households covered.
- The lowest performing kerbside schemes generated less than 2kg/hh/annum.
- The quantity of plastic bottles collected from plastic bottle bring schemes ranges from 2kg to 5kg plus per household per annum.
The continued growth in plastic bottle recycling facilities can be attributed to a number of factors including: increasing pressure for local authorities to provide effective recycling programmes in order to meet recycling targets and avoid rising landfill tax on residual waste, Government funding; increased recognition that plastic bottle recycling facilities can be provided cost effectively, improved baling/handling infrastructure, strong public demand for the service locally, an increase in alternate weekly collections and increased confidence in markets for collected plastic bottles.
The survey also used local authority declarations to forecast future trends. Based on this information, the provision of kerbside collection of plastic bottles is set to exceed 14.6 million households during 2008, representing 56% of UK households. It is also forecast that around 150,000 tonnes per annum of plastic bottles will be collected by 2009, equating to a recycling rate of 28%.
Paul Davidson, Plastics Technology Manager at WRAP, comments on the survey findings:
"It is very encouraging to see the tremendous rate at which plastic bottle collection rates have grown over the last few years. To have reached a collection rate of 25% is significant progress given that the UK was collecting just 3% in 2001. However, three out of every four plastic bottles are still not being collected for recycling so there remains a need to focus on good practice and remove scheme inefficiencies to optimise current systems."
Paul adds: "We need to encourage local authorities to move towards kerbside systems, which on average outperform bring schemes by 4:1 and, for those already operating kerbside collections of plastic bottles, we will continue to provide support to help further improve these collections in a sustainable and cost-effective manner."
Local authorities looking for advice on their plastic bottle recycling schemes can contact WRAP’s recycling advisory service ROTATE. ROTATE provides technical and operational guidance and advice on key issues for plastic bottle recycling, such as marketing and promotion, end markets and performance monitoring and evaluation. The support given is ‘hands on’ and practical, and is tailored to the specific needs of individual local authorities.
The full report is available to download here (2512 kb)
Editor's notes:
- WRAP is working with retailers, brand owners, manufacturers and packaging suppliers to identify collaborative projects whose primary aim is to reduce the amount of food and packaging waste that ends up in the household bin and maximising the recycling of packaging.
- WRAP works in partnership to encourage and enable businesses and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials and recycle more things more often. This helps to minimise landfill, reduce carbon emissions and improve our environment.
- Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by Government funding from Defra and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Working in seven key areas (Construction, Retail, Manufacturing, Organics, Business Growth, Behavioural Change, and Local Authority Support), WRAP’s work focuses on market development and support to drive forward recycling and materials resource efficiency within these sectors, as well as wider communications and awareness activities including the multi-media national Recycle Now campaign for England.
