Slowdown in UK recycling rate sets alarm bells ringing
Wednesday, August 12, 2015 - 12:30:17
Although major headway has been made in terms of how much waste is recycled throughout the UK, it looks like the rate of expansion in this area is dropping dramatically, according to the latest figures from the DEFRA.
In England, the growth in household recycling last year was just 0.6 per cent, meaning that, nationally, the levels peaked at 44.8 per cent.
Interestingly, this figure may not be as catastrophic as it seems, because the report also points out that the amount of waste being sent to landfill was down by 15 per cent in 2015, thanks largely to big increases in the composting of waste food items and garden waste alike.
There are just five years left until the EU-established target for 50 per cent of household waste to be recycled has to be met, and there are concerns that at the current rate, the UK will not be capable of meeting expectations.
Industry representatives have said that the upward trend of recycling was positive, but that more needs to be done to avoid a situation in which the entire market stagnates.
It now looks like the EU will be setting regular deadlines for recycling improvements, with 2030 likely to be the next point at which a significant rise in the so-called circular economy is destined to be achieved. Of course, this is reliant on countries like the UK maximising the growth of recycling, rather than initiating only gradual annual increases.
The more people are aware of the need to recycle, the greater the UK’s contribution to international targets can become. And since there is a wide range of services intended to facilitate recycling, for everything from household waste to old mobile phones, there is little excuse for ignoring this call.
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