The guide, entitled ‘Kerbside Collection of Plastic Bottles’, focuses on improving both the quality and quantity of plastic recycling. The chronological structure of the guide, moving through the ‘lifecycle of plastic bottle collection and processing,’ allows authorities to intervene at appropriate stages either by initiating new schemes or adapting current services.

With an overall European target of 50 per cent recycling in England and 60 per cent in Scotland by 2020, plastic can be targeted because of its increasing recycle rate. In 2000 the UK recycled 12,000 tonnes of plastic bottles, and although ten years on this has increased 20 fold, with tonnage approaching 400,000, this is still only 48.5 per cent of consumption.

Statistics suggest that 96 per cent of plastic bottles currently enter the household waste stream. Therefore, Linda Crichton, Head of Collections at WRAP, believes that “maximising the capture of plastic bottles at the kerbside” is crucial.

At the same time, UK demands for PET and HDPE recyclate are soaring, and we have the ability to meet these demands from our own shores. Crichton explains: “We’re seeing rapid growth in domestic infrastructure to reprocess plastic bottles. Around half are now reprocessed in the UK”.

The guide offers ‘interventions that can be implemented by local authorities themselves,’ with references from a number of case studies of different councils. Authorities can seek support at the appropriate stage, ranging from communicating a new scheme to residents with the help of communications materials, to selection of a Material Recovery Facility (MRF).

The guide is available for download at http://www.wrap.org.uk/local_authorities/research_guidance/collections_recycling/plastic_bottle.html