Plastics challenges and opportunities

Plastics Challenges and opportunities in a circular economy

Improving recycling rates UK recycling trends Quantity collected (tonnes)

Recycling rates in the UK have grown exponentially over the past ten years — but more support is needed to help this trend continue.

The recycling of PET bottles has increased by 1,900% since 2001

500,000 450,000 400,000 350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000

75% of plastic bottles in Wales are recycled due to a harmonised collection scheme

75% 30%

In the past 5 years, the number of councils collecting PTT has risen from 30% to 75%

Government can support further growth in a number of ways: n Improving the waste management infrastructure and seeking to harmonise collection schemes. n Adopting Green Procurement policies to incentivise the use of recycled materials in products. n Stronger leadership in the introduction of anti-litter measures and campaigns.

PLASTIC SAVES FOOD

50,000

Bottle bring

Bottle kerbside

Pots Tubs & Trays bring

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

1995

1994

0

Pots Tubs & Trays kerbside

Deposit return scheme (DRS)

Recycled content

Before adopting a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), we should carefully consider the benefits, costs and alternatives as they apply to the UK. The UK currently recycles 74% plastic (HDPE/PET) drinks bottles through kerbside collection (Valpak, 2017).

Germany and Norway have recycling rates of over 95% for bottles using a Deposit Return Scheme. However, other schemes have achieved more modest recycling rates, e.g. South Australia (64%), Hawaii (60.8%) and Oregon (51.9%).

A key driver for recycling is having end markets for the recycled material. The inclusion of recycled content within products provides this end market. One mechanism to encourage the use of recycled content is through the use of procurement policies which specify that products brought should contain recycled content.

Changes to our collection system should aim to complement our existing kerbside infrastructure and support local councils.

To be most effective, we need to improve recycling collection for all packaging and all material types.

Using recycled content also allows the public to see the circular flow of plastics and the value the material has, which helps to motivate them to recycle more.

Wrapping bananas in a modified atmosphere bag extends shelf-life by

Wrapping a cucumber in plastic film extends its shelf-life to up to

In Europe,

only 3% of all products

14 days

2 – 3 days

delivered to customers are spoilt during transport thanks to packaging – compared to 50% in developing countries

The shelf-life of beef can be

extended by 5–10 days

when using the most advanced plastics packaging solution

Industry-led initiatives Consumers, government and industry all have a part to play in protecting the environment and ensuring that the plastic we use, for example, to protect our food and prolong its life, is easily reclaimed for recycling. We believe that restrictions on single-use items will not solve the litter problem and a broader approach will be more effective at protecting our environment and increasing recycling.

The Plastics Industry Recycling Action Plan The Plastics Industry Recycling Action Plan (PIRAP) is an industry-run initiative to increase the recycling of plastic.

It is being implemented by the BPF, PlasticsEurope and Recoup, and involves companies form across the entire supply chain, including retailers.

Resulting projects aim to increase bottle recycling, explore new markets for recyclate, improve the recyclability of black trays and further promote ‘design for recyclability’ guidelines.

Vinylplus VinylPlus is the voluntary sustainable development programme of the European PVC industry representing businesses involved at all stages of the life cycle of PVC. VinylPlus is committed to sustainability and is a key contributor to the Circular Economy by ensuring continuous growth in the recycling of PVC. In 2016 570,000 tonnes of PVC was recycled in Europe, from which 120,000 tonnes were recycled in the UK alone.

Replacing plastics with alternative materials would quadruple the environmental cost

The BPF is involved in many initiatives tackling litter including:

Operation Clean Sweep® Since 2011, 69 associations in 35 countries have signed up to the Global Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter, and 260 projects are underway, planned or completed. Operation Clean Sweep® is one of them, aiming to ensure that the plastic pellets, flakes and powders that pass through manufacturing facilities in the UK are handled with the care they deserve and do not end up in our rivers or seas.

In the UK, Operation Clean Sweep® has been led by the BPF for the past ten years. European activities are led

by PlasticsEurope. From 2016-2017, due to heightened awareness in the industry, the number of UK companies signed up to the scheme has more than doubled, now representing over 190 sites.

PLASTIC SAVES CARBON

Compared to traditional building bricks, plastic building blocks emit

Recycling 1 tonne of plastic bottles saves

1.5 tonnes of carbon

Over ten years the average weight of plastic packaging has reduced by 28%

95% less CO2

To replace all the plastic bags being used in the EU with paper ones in one year, you would need to cut down an additional

2.2 million trees

which would prevent 2,188 metric tonnes of carbon being absorbed by the trees

The production of 1kg cheese results in a CO2 impact equivalent of 11kg, which is almost

6 times bigger

than the CO2 impact equivalent of 1kg PVC

UK Plastics Industry Plastics — fundamental to the UK economy The plastics industry is one of the UK’s largest manufacturing sectors — it employs more people than the pharmaceutical, glass, paper, nuclear and steel industries combined.

Approximate direct employment in various manufacturing sectors

£23.5 bn

plastics industry turnover

400,000 380,000 360,000

170,000

180,000 160,000 140,000 120,000 100,000

people employed

80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000

Food and Drink

Plastics

Automotive Manufacturing

Defence

Chemical

Furniture, bed and furnishings

Aerospace

Marine

Mining and Quarrying

Nuclear

Pharmaceutical

Paper

Steel

Glass

0

With a turnover of £23.5bn, this industry includes raw material producers, machinery and equipment suppliers, manufacturers of a huge range of semifinished and finished goods, and recyclers.

6,200 companies in the plastics industry

Plastics underpin many sectors in the UK economy including automotive, aerospace, construction, energy, electrical and electronic, healthcare, agriculture and food distribution. None of these sectors could function effectively without plastics.

Due to the unique role the industry plays in the manufacturing supply chain, for every job created in the plastics industry a total of 2.74 are created in the wider economy.

PLASTIC SAVES ENERGY

30+%

plastics and plastic products exported

Recycling just one plastic bottle saves enough energy to power a 60W light bulb for

Without

EPS packaging

energy consumption would double when compared to alternatives Insulating foams in buildings saves

6 hours

2,400 million tonnes

of greenhouse gas globally in their lifetime To download this document and for a full list of sources visit: www.bpf.co.uk/sustainability/circular-economy

The use of plastic composite panels in Swiss trains has led to a

25% reduction in weight and consequently significant energy savings