The 'significant' recycling change that's coming for all of our plastic
Most British people dutifully separate their waste and fill their bins correctly each week, but some might be surprised that not all their plastic is recycled.
Plastic films, for example, used to wrap many foodstuffs, are not recycled in most areas. But this is changing, with some councils already expanding the range of plastics they can recycle.
Defra says the recycling rate across the UK was 52.5% in 2023. Industry group the British Plastics Federation believes that the UK can move towards a 70% recycling rate by 2035.
Some of us imagine that anything plastic can be safely put in the recycling bin, but that's not the case, Professor Karl Williams, director for waste management at the University of Central Lancashire, explains.
Speaking to Yahoo News, Prof Williams said: "There are three main types of plastic that we use every day, which can be easily recycled at home.
"These include PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, which is most commonly found in plastic drinks bottles; HDPE, or high-density polyethylene, which is typically used for milk containers; and LDPE, or low-density polyethylene, which is used for flexible packaging such as food bags.'
Plastics such as polystyrene and low-density polyethylene – which are used in bags and films – cannot be collected from home recycling collections. Such waste often ends up being burned in waste-to-energy incinerators.
In some areas, these plastics can be collected at supermarkets or via other special collections.
However, recycling systems are not uniform across the UK, meaning that it can be hard for households to understand which plastics can and cannot be recycled.
"One of the major challenges we face is that recycling systems vary between regions," says Prof Williams. "What can be recycled in one area may not be accepted in another, depending on the local collection and processing facilities.
"This is why packaging often carries the message 'recyclable where facilities exist', reflecting the inconsistent availability of recycling options across the country.'
The government's Simpler Recycling scheme – in force for businesses from 2025 and households from 2026 – aims to ensure there is no 'postcode lottery' around plastic recycling so that all areas have the same rules around what is recycled.
Under Simpler Recycling, all councils must collect the same waste streams, one of which is dry recycling, including plastic.
By March 2027, plastic films will be able to be recycled in all areas.
Prof Williams says that this will mean councils will be able to 'upgrade' their recycling to include plastics such as polystyrene, which are currently not recycled.
He said: "A significant change being introduced is the move towards a more consistent recycling system, so that households across the UK can recycle the same materials regardless of where they live. This national consistency supports the development of recycling infrastructure and helps create stable markets for recyclable materials.
"By ensuring a uniform collection system, it becomes more feasible to collect and process harder-to-recycle plastics, such as polystyrene. It is essential that we do not continue to produce plastic products unless there is a clear, accessible route for their recycling that is available to everyone."
Plastic put in recycling bins across the UK is relatively likely to travel abroad to be recycled.
Turkey remained the top destination for UK exports of plastic last year, according to Basel Action Network, a European NGO which records plastic waste exports.
British exports of plastic waste increased to 598 million kilos a year in 2024, with exports to Turkey increasing to 151 million kg per year from 141 million last year.
The next most popular destinations for UK plastic waste were the Netherlands, Poland and Vietnam.
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