Major project to boost flexible plastic packaging recycling in the UK
FlexCollect, the UK’s largest collaborative project to support the collection and recycling of flexible plastic packaging, has been launched with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) support. The multi-million-pound project will pilot household collections of flexible plastic packaging waste, to significantly increase recovery and recycling rates.
The project is co-funded by:
- the Flexible Plastic Fund
- UKRI’s Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge (SSPP), which is providing £700,000
- Defra.
In addition, further in-kind support is being provided from industry stakeholders including:
- Ecosurety,
- RECOUP,
- SUEZ Recycling & Recovery UK
- WRAP.
The challenge with flexible plastics
Flexible plastic packaging, such as film, bags and wrapping, plays an important role in transporting food and other consumer goods to the user in a safe and hygienic way. It protects products from damage as well as helping to maximise shelf life and minimise food waste.
However, it poses a considerable challenge when it comes to recycling. In 2020, flexible plastic packaging represented 22% of all UK consumer plastic packaging.
However, only around 8% of this material was recovered for recycling, according to RECOUP’s household plastic collections survey 2021.
One of the key barriers to improving the recycling rate is establishing effective methods of collecting waste film from householders. As a low value and low density material, it is costly to recover.
Other challenging factors include:
- higher levels of food contamination on waste packaging
- the technical challenges associated with sorting including:
- the variety of plastic polymer types
- colours
- multiple material layers.
Providing the evidence for change
FlexCollect will help to build a detailed understanding of how best to incorporate flexible plastic packaging into existing household collection services, across different geographies and demographics, to maximise recovery and recycling.
Working with participating local authorities, including Cheltenham Borough Council, it will provide financial support and expertise to deliver a series of innovative collection and recycling pilots until 2025.
The evidence and shared learning from these pilots will help support local authorities to roll out new recycling collections.
This will help local authorities to keep in line with the government’s proposals to introduce recyclable plastic film and flexible packaging household collections in England by March 2027.
The data and insights will be publicly shared to help stimulate the development of end markets and recycling infrastructure for flexible plastic packaging.
FlexCollect is also fully aligned with the WRAP-led UK Plastics Pact, Roadmap 2025: Creating a circular economy for flexible plastic packaging.
Supporting the wider agenda
The SSPP challenge will support wider government commitments to reduce the environmental impact of packaging and reduce plastic waste.
In addition, the SSPP challenge has direct objectives to support research and innovation needed to deliver the UK Plastics Pact targets:
- Eliminate problematic or unnecessary single-use packaging through redesign, innovation or alternative (reuse) delivery model.
- 100% of plastics packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable.
- 70% of plastics packaging effectively recycled or composted.
- 30% average recycled content across all plastic packaging.
Building vital understanding
SSPP challenge Director Paul Davidson said: “Without significant progress on recycling levels for flexible plastics packaging, it will be difficult for the UK to meet the targets set out in the UK Plastics Pact. This cross-sector initiative brings together government, local authorities, packaging producers and retailers, with the waste industry.
“It will build vital understanding of how to develop efficient and cost-effective recycling collections for this material. In addition, it will provide important insights into operational and cost considerations, as well as effective communications with residents.”
Reducing the amount of plastic pollution
Resources and Waste Minister Jo Churchill said: “Plastic films and flexible packaging make up a huge proportion of our waste and we all want to see more of this material recycled. Our plans to introduce consistency in recycling and encourage more recyclable packaging through extended producer responsibility will significantly reduce the amount of plastic polluting our natural environment.
“This innovative project will provide valuable evidence to support our proposals to roll out nationwide collections of plastic film from all households and businesses.”
