UK improves rate of plastic bottle recycling
Monday, May 13, 2013 - 10:07:53
The increase in kerbside collections and the rollout of awareness campaigns across the country have helped to significantly increase the amount of plastic recycling which goes on in the UK each year.
Resource reports that a new survey, conducted by Recoup, found that 52 per cent of all plastic bottles purchased domestically in 2011 were recycled, which is apparently the first time that this particular item has entered the majority.
Researchers found that per-capita bottle recycling was actually higher in Wales than elsewhere in the UK, while overall, the total increase in bottle recycling was at 451 per cent for the period between 2005 and 2011.
Recoup points out that while the UK should be congratulated for the momentum which has built up behind its plastic recycling drive, there is still a way to go before truly satisfactory levels are reached.
Compared to the rest of Europe, Britain is only ranked in 25th place out of a total 29 participating countries.
The plastic bottles which the UK does not recycle end up costing the country dearly, with the annual expense estimated to be 24 million, at the current 52 per cent recycling rate.
Conversely, up to 63.7 million could have been made if these improperly disposed of bottles had actually been sent for recycling.
Recoup believes that the growth rate for bottle recycling in the UK is becoming less impressive as time progresses, so there is no time to be complacent about the need to rejuvenate this area.
The key seems to lie with rolling out kerbside collections for recyclable plastics across the entire country, because this makes it much easier for households to get rid of waste products in an ethical and sustainable manner, without requiring people to head to a separate recycling centre.
Latest News
Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - 10:32:41
Every industry around the world has been impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and recycling has been especially affected as a result of force [...]
Read More
Wednesday, May 6, 2020 - 21:33:36
Apple has pulled back the curtains on the all-new iPhone SE, bringing with it a raft of eco-friendly design features which aim to improve the green cr [...]
Read More
Wednesday, April 29, 2020 - 21:32:00
Researchers from New Zealand have demonstrated a new recycling solution which could help companies to reclaim rare materials from smartphones, PCs and [...]
Read More