With demand for PET and HDPE recyclate soaring, WRAP says local authorities have a significant opportunity to boost overall recycling rates by focusing on collections of plastic bottles.
Linda Crichton, Head of Collections at WRAP, says the growth in plastic bottle recycling has been remarkable over the past 10 years.
“Back in 2000, only around 12,000 tonnes of plastic bottles were recycled in the UK – it’s now nearly 20 times that amount,” she says. “We’re also seeing rapid growth in domestic infrastructure to reprocess plastic bottles, some of which are even producing recycled food grade materials. Around half of the plastic bottles collected for recycling are now reprocessed in the UK.”
She adds that maximising the capture of plastic bottles at the kerbside could be a way for local authorities to reach towards the targets to recycle 50 per cent of household waste in England and 60 per cent in Scotland by 2020.
New communications materials, focussed on the collection of plastic bottles have also been published today to help local authorities in England and Scotland engage residents in any service changes.
The guide can be downloaded from here. A second technical guide and supporting communications materials focussing on the collection of rigid household plastic packaging is due to be published by WRAP in the spring.