Resources body WRAP has today (December 17) released its first annual report for the UK Plastics Pact, launched last year to increase plastic recycling and reduce single-use packaging.
The pact between WRAP and 85 UK businesses was signed in April 2018 and set out four targets to be met by 2025.
Morrisons has rolled out a packaging-free fresh produce isle in 60 of its stores
Today, WRAP announced the progress made by companies across the board of plastics production, set against bassline figures compiled before they joined the pact.
Targets
The first target set was to eliminate “problematic or unnecessary single-use plastic packaging through redesign, innovation or alternative (re-use) delivery models”.
Today’s update from WRAP said that members are set to remove a total of 1.1 billion items of problematic and unnecessary single use plastic by the end of 2020, with several items such as straws and cotton buds already eliminated “by the majority of members”.
Examples include Morrisons, which has rolled out loose, package free, fresh produce areas in 60 of its stores and Marks & Spencer, which has started replacing difficult to recycle styrene yogurt pots with recyclable pots.
Packaging
The second and third targets are to ensure that 100% of plastics packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable, and that that 70% of plastics packaging” effectively gets reused or recycled by 2025”.
According to WRAP the bulk of plastics that are difficult to recycle are polyethalene and polypropalene films, black plastics and “multi layer incompatible materials.” The national recycling rate for plastics in the UK in 2018 was 44%.
The notable achievements listed by WRAP include Biffa and Veolia’s combined investment of £28 million into processing plants in the last year.
Also, supermarkets ASDA, Tesco and Marks and Spencer’s have launched separate schemes to retrieve more difficult to recycle plastics such as films and plastic toys.
WRAP added that Sprite bottles will now be clear instead of green to make them easier to recycle.
Recycled content
The fourth target is to boost the average recycled content within all plastic packaging to 30% from 10% by 2025.
Using clear PET rather than coloured material increases the chances of recycling in most rigid plastic packaging, WRAP guidance suggests
The progress made here in the past year includes Highland Spring, which increased its 100% recycled content eco-bottle range to include children’s, still and sparkling ranges., while Unilever is moving all Dove packaging to 100% recycled plastic.
‘Determined’
Commenting on the result, Peter Maddox, director of WRAP, said: “We are determined to avoid piecemeal solutions but bring the whole supply chain together to bring about systemic change.
“We think the only answer is to shift away from the make, use, dispose system we are paying the price for, to one which is truly circular. And that’s a significant undertaking”.
The Pact
The UK Plastics Pact includes UK businesses responsible for 80% of plastics packaging sold through UK supermarkets.
Retail giants Sainsbury’s, Tesco and ASDA as well as charities and trade bodies like synergy compliance and the UK Circular Plastics Network are included in the pact.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Packaging
