Boosting UK Packaging Recycling Rates

Packaging recycling rates in the UK have plateaued in recent years. Despite growing awareness of and demand for recyclable packaging, there is minimal change in the percentage of material that is collected and processed for reuse. This suggests that the UK needs a fresh approach.

What solutions could help boost recycling rates?

One suggestion is to encourage collaboration through the supply chain. If retailers selected suppliers based on sustainability criteria, it would be one step in driving change.

We also need to invest in the development of plant-based packaging materials. This include making the familiar cardboard box more widely usable with coatings that don’t impede recycling. Cardboard and paper packaging has the highest recycling rates of any material, as consumers are clear about what can or can’t be put in the recycling bin.

Change is also about embracing emerging materials, including those made from fungi or seaweed. In a recent Politics Home article*, TetraPak suggests that the Government should take a more active role in encouraging the use of plant-based packaging materials. The company also recommends following in the steps of Belgium, a country with the highest recycling rates in Europe. Belgium has adopted material specific collections and processing, which boosts recycling.

* https://www.politicshome.com/members/article/right-packaging-drive-sustainable-food-system-uk