New research commissioned by DS Smith reveals that over 200m pieces of BBQ plastic meat trays are set to flood the UK recycling system in the summer months.
The corrugated giant said the seasonal peak in plastic highlights ‘how confusing recycling has become’, as the research also shows that there is confusion among barbecuing Brits about recycling rules.
One quarter admit to not recycling BBQ food packaging because of unclear labels, and, more than one in eight say they do not recycle packaging because they are unsure of the recycling rules in their local area.
Lack of understanding is a crucial issue, with nearly a quarter (23%) of respondents unconfident about how to recycle plastic meat trays and over a third (36%) of respondents unclear on where plastic recycling goes after it’s been disposed of.
Data from DS Smith reveals:
- When paper and cardboard are collected in mixed recycling systems, there can be up to double the amount of plastic in the mix than paper and card that comes from separate collections. This is a problem as plastic cannot be recycled at paper mills and it creates more waste when trying to make paper.
- Despite the UK being the third largest producer of paper and card waste in Europe, it ranks 25th of 30 European nations for recycling.
- Less than two thirds (66%) of Brits are confident the paper and card they put in their bin is processed correctly by the authorities.
Last summer DS Smith’s recycled paper mill had to process over 2,600 tonnes of plastic that was contaminating the paper and card, the equivalent of over 850,000 black bin bags full.
Modelling carried out by DS Smith suggests that, based on the current pathway, the UK’s paper and card recycling rate could drop from 74% to 56% by 2030.
The poll reveals that almost 1 in 6 (17%) people say that fully recyclable packaging is the most important aspect when choosing what to buy for a BBQ and half of respondents (49%) feel guilty if they ever buy plastic wrapped BBQ products.
More broadly, a majority of respondents (55%) say that sustainable packaging is important when it comes to which products to buy for their BBQs.
Michael Orye, managing director of recycling and paper in Europe, DS Smith, said: “Having so many different ways to recycle across the UK is simply confusing for everyone, and when more plastic hits the clunky UK recycling system, it can contaminate paper and card and creates waste, which drags down how much we can recycle. We’d ask that people do their best to follow their local recycling rules, but also that the new government marinate on the UK’s rickety recycling system and give it the renovation it needs, including separate collections for paper and card.”
Orye added: “Barbecues are a staple of the Great British summer, but with people wanting to live more sustainable lifestyles, they also shine a light on waste. We know people have their best intentions when they recycle their plastic, but their efforts are becoming undone due to an underperforming recycling system” News Courtesy : Packaging News UK.
