Survey outlines ‘monumental challenge’ of plastic packaging collection in UK

United Kingdom-based plastic resource efficiency and recycling charity Recoup recently released its annual U.K. Household Plastic Packaging Collection Survey, which has outlined what the organization calls the “monumental scale of the challenge ahead.”

Recoup says that while there have been incremental improvements across the board for curbside service for plastic packaging, the scale to include other formats in collection services in a relatively short timeframe is unprecedented, though “entirely achievable with the right drive, funding, planning and leadership.”

According to the report, with all U.K. local authorities collecting plastic bottles as part of their curbside service in 2019, local authorities providing curbside service for plastic pots, tubs and trays increased from 88 percent to 89 percent and from 12 percent to 14 percent for plastic films and flexibles, respectively—the first increase recorded after six straight years of decline. Recoup says this means another 39 local authorities need to collect plastic pots, tubs and trays, and 312 for plastic films and flexibles by March 2027 to comply with requirements.

Effective communications to citizens are an essential part of this process, Recoup reports, and while local authorities are making significant efforts—60 percent of respondents say they have an ongoing or continuous citizen communication campaign about plastic packaging recycling—packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) funding needs to strengthen the resources to deliver these campaigns. Recoup’s survey found local authorities reported an average material reject rate of 14 percent, and helping to deal with issues such as contamination will be pivotal.

Additionally, the survey found there is a comprehensive inconsistency in messaging across the U.K., both in the language used and instructions given. For example, Recoup says when looking at plastic bottle lids, 40 percent of localities ask for citizens to leave lids on bottles, but 13 percent ask for them to be left off. Another 12 percent listed lids as separate target items, but did not specify if they should be left on the bottle or not, and 5 percent said they can either be left on or off the bottle. The remaining 30 percent do not provide any guidance.

Recoup says other examples of instructions to residents will need to be adjusted to fit new policy requirements. Fifty-four percent of localities ask for plastic bottles to be flattened or squashed, but with a deposit return scheme (DRS) planned for implementation in October 2027, Recoup says this message might cause confusion as it is likely plastic bottles should not be presented in this way in a DRS.

The most common message is 85 percent of respondents saying that items should be empty, rinsed and/or washed, with 53 percent asking for items to be disposed of loose and not bagged.

“Whereas the different instructions need to reflect local sorting and processing requirements, it’s in the benefits of consumers and all stakeholders to have simple, consistent national communications messages about how to present plastics for recycling,” says Steve Morgan, head of policy and infrastructure at Recoup. “Packaging EPR and deposit return schemes, through their respective scheme administrator and deposit management organization leadership, should build on the requirements of simpler recycling and provide the foundations and influence to enable one unified core set of messages about how to recycle.”

Another key communication finding in the survey centered on funding. Recoup says that with the focus on packaging EPR to provide the funding to collect and sort packaging, the impact of another policy needs greater awareness and urgent and robust plans to mitigate its impact.

Recoup cites the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), a market-driven mechanism that limits the emissions an involved industry is allowed to produce, with the intention to incentivize the development of decarbonization technologies or practices to reduce emissions. The scheme is expanding to include waste incineration and energy from waste from 2028, preceded by a two-year transitional period from 2026, and will impact the dynamics of local authority funding. Recoup says to reduce this impact, removing plastic packaging from residual scrap will be key.

Recoup says its survey found that 32 percent of local authorities said they were not aware of the upcoming expansion of ETS and its impact on incineration and energy recovery of local material. Further, when asked how prepared they felt for the changes to ETS on a 10-point scale (with “1” being “not prepared at all” and “10” being “fully prepared”), 37 percent gave a score of “3” or below, indicating they do not feel confident about how it will operate. Only 12 percent gave a “7” or higher, with no local authorities giving a score of “10.”