Why is recycling plastic so difficult?
According to Greenpeace, less than 10% of plastic packaging that the things we buy is wrapped in gets recycled in the UK. The latest data published by Statista, we recycled 43.8% of plastic packaging waste in the UK in 2018. The truth is probably somewhere between the two figures, but it is certainly less than 50%.
Why is this figure so low? Because recycling plastic difficult. But why? The innovative packaging company Tyler explains that plastics are composed of several different polymer types. And it’s almost impossible to recycle different plastics together as they melt at different temperatures.
So, before plastics can be recycled properly, they need to be separated. This is not only time consuming, but costly. Black plastic food trays are a nightmare to separate as their dark colour makes it difficult for sorting machines to spot them.
To complicate things further, only certain types of plastics are worth recycling. For example, most plastics worsen in quality when recycled, this is known as downcycling. Such plastics have to be mixed with virgin plastics and other materials to become valuable.
Plus, plastics such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE) need to be chemically recycled before they make it onto the shelves. And as there is currently a very limited supply, it can be expensive to produce post-consumer recyclate even though it is key for food approval. Not to mention, if such materials are being used for food packaging, they need to be manufactured in compliance with EU regulations and have a certified supply chain. This helps ensure that packaging is food approved and safe to use.
What are the social impacts of plastic?
Tyler mentions Indonesia as example. Around 283,000 tonnes of plastic waste is imported into the country each year, with the majority coming from Europe. This waste has caused levels of toxin dioxins in chicken eggs to rise almost 70 times above European safety standards. Long-term exposure can have adverse effects on a person’s health and can lead to cancer.
What should be done?
Greenpeace says the UK government is failing to address this crisis responsibly. Its small gestures towards stemming the plastic tide, like banning plastic cotton bud sticks, stirrers and straws have had a minimal impact. Meanwhile, more significant reforms like introducing a plastic bottle ‘deposit return scheme’ have been repeatedly delayed.
If the UK produced half as much single-use plastic, we could end waste exports, and send less plastic into incineration and landfill. The government should commit to a 50% reduction in single-use plastic by 2025 – and supermarkets and major brands must deliver it if we’re going to properly protect people and the planet from plastic pollution.
They have started a petition to tell the government to fix the UK’s plastic waste crisis: Stop dumping our plastic waste on other countries; Cut the UK’s single use plastic by 50% by 2025; and Roll out a Bottle Return Scheme.