Over a third of plastic bottles are already recycled - and rates are forecast to reach 50% in 2008
Plastic recycling reduces both waste and energy consumption. In 2007, 35% of plastic bottles were recycled – a 68% increase on the previous year. The plastics recycling rate is predicted to increase to 50% in 2008. PET water bottles are 100% recyclable and many are also made of recycled plastic, closing the recycling loop, and reducing CO2 emissions even further.
Plastics used in the manufacture of bottles for soft drinks and bottled water account for less than 5% of all plastics used in the UK, yet significant environmental savings can be made through recycling efforts. Recycling has three proven benefits:
Energy use throughout the entire lifecycle of the product is reduced. Recoup (RECycling Of Used Plastics) estimates that recycling 1 tonne of plastic bottles saves 1.5 tonnes of carbon emissions
It reduces the amount of packaging waste going to a limited landfill capacity
It reduces the use of oil – a finite resource
Under the 1994 EU packaging Directive, the UK has set various targets for plastics recycling: 24.5% of all plastics packaging must be recycled in 2008, rising to 25.5% in 2010.
The Directive also established the "producer responsibility" system, where it is up to packaging producers to meet the costs of achieving these targets. Bottled water companies pay accredited reprocessors to recycle used bottles.
Recycling performance
Through industry funding and recovery operations of local authorities, plastics recycling is on fast-track growth. In 2003, just 5.5% of plastic bottled were recycled. By 2006, this had risen to 20%, and by 2007, a staggering 35%, according to new research funded by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) and undertaken by Valpak in partnership with Recoup.
In 2007, almost 182 thousand tonnes were recycled, the equivalent of 4.5 billion plastic bottles per annum. UK households use 525,300 tonnes or approximately 13 billion plastic bottles each year.
WRAP now says that if current trends continue, collection rates could increase to 50% in 2008 and 71% in 2009, after which the potential growth rate is predicted to slow.
Improving rates
Recycling success is being driven by the introduction of kerbside collection schemes, accounting for 81% of all bottles collected. 14.4 million households, out of the total of 26.2 million in the UK, are now covered by such schemes.
These schemes operate well in suburban districts. In more densely populated inner city areas, it is proving more difficult to extend recycling. Recognising this, Danone Waters (UK & Ireland) has supported a pilot project in Glasgow. From early 2008 onwards, Danone has been placing a number of branded PET collection banks in high-density areas of the city and making consumers aware of them by leafleting local offices and businesses. A dedicated vehicle will be provided for the ongoing emptying and maintenance of the collection banks and additional staff will be employed in Glasgow’s materials recovery plant to sort collected waste into recyclable, and therefore sellable plastics.
Closing the loop
Manufacturers have made significant (around 25%) reductions in the amount of plastic used per bottle through light-weighting techniques over the last decade. At the same time, use of recycled PET is being introduced in bottle manufacturing with some major producers now using up to 25% recycled PET (RPET).
One manufacturer says the use of RPET will additionally allow the company to reduce a bottle's carbon footprint by 17%.From January 2008 onwards, Danone has progressively introduced recycled PET (at 25% recyclate) in its Evian 1 litre and 75cl water bottles, with 1.5 litre recycled PET introduced in April 2008. By the end of 2008, Danone’s aim is to commercialise all its 75cl, 1 litre and 1.5 litre bottles into RPET.
Availability of RPET is holding back the use of recyclate. However, a new £13m facility in Dagenham, east London, is due to open in June, which will transform 35,000 tonnes of plastic back into new food grade packaging. Planning for a second food-grade plastics recycling plant is underway.
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