Plastics recycling charity RECOUP has published the results of its UK Household Plastics Collection Survey, providing a full analysis of Local Authority data on plastics recycling collections compared with the amount of plastic being sold on the market.
The 2020 survey covers retrospective data from 2019 and demonstrates that up until March 2020 the overall rate increased by 2 per cent.
The collection rate of plastics packaging recycling in this time period is 59 per cent for plastic bottles; 33 per cent for plastic pots, tubs, and trays; 7 per cent for plastic film; and 39 per cent for all household plastic packaging.
The survey found a significant upswing in recycling rates from March 2020. This suggests the public was struggling to engage with recycling messages before the first national Covid-19 lockdown.
Following a change in lifestyle brought about by working from home, less travel and less on-the-go food, the plastics recycling rate has increased from household collections.
Steve Morgan, Policy and Infrastructure Manager at RECOUP, commented: “Local Authorities report an increase in excess of 20 per cent of recycling in the first lockdown period, evidence which has been backed up by RECOUP member Veolia, which has seen a 10 per cent increase in kerbside plastics collected this year.
“This is a sizable increase in figures from the 2020 RECOUP Plastics Collection Survey report which showed only a 2 per cent increase in collection rates during 2019. With more people being at home and many changing their ways of working during 2020, initial figures do suggest that when people have the easy access to be able to recycle plastic that they do choose to do the right thing.“
RECOUP has shared its vision of what a green Covid-19 recovery could look like. The charity believes that the first step should be the UK economy making up for the loss of plastic packaging not collected for recycling.
Tim Duret, Director of Sustainable Technology, Veolia UK and Ireland, commented: "What remains critical is that we back up our environmental responsibility with legislation to create impactful change. The Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy and Plastics Packaging Tax will provide the financial drivers for manufacturers to eco-design their products, increasing recycling and simplifying the process, keeping materials in a circular loop.
“This will also inspire a forecast £10bn of investment from the waste sector over the next ten years, allowing for greater innovation and development of domestic infrastructure which together will increase recycling, reduce carbon emissions, create green jobs and preserve biodiversity.”
RECOUP celebrated 30 years of plastics recycling in the summer and has taken part in numerous initiatives to improve recycling rates in the UK, such as its RecyClassUK certification scheme, which strived to make rigid plastic recycling packaging more consistent and accessible for consumers earlier this year.
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