MILK BOTTLE RECYCLING
Another increase in UK recycling level / Kerbside collection the key to growth / More recycling facilities needed
New figures demonstrate that recycling of plastic milk bottles in the UK is continuing to increase. Research commissioned by plastics recycling organisation Recoup (Peterborough / UK; www.recoup.org) showed that 76% of natural HDPE milk bottles consumed and collected in the UK during 2010 were recycled. This figure was up from 72% in 2009 and substantially ahead of the 2008 recycling level of 57%.
HDPE milk bottles represent one-third (33%) of all plastic bottle types collected in the UK, accounting for 93,000 t of the total 281,000 t collected. Even so, and despite the steady increase in recycling, an estimated 22,700 t of HDPE milk bottles were still landfilled in 2010. This, says Recoup, incurred a landfill cost of GBP 1.8m (EUR 2.1m) and disposed of polymer with a potential recyclable sales value of GBP 8.0m (EUR 9.4m).
Local authority kerbside collection is the key to the continuing rise in recycling rates. A total of 21.7m UK households now have access to plastic kerbside collection and this route is believed to account for 85% of all household plastic bottles collected for recycling.
Commenting on the latest data from Recoup’s “UK Household Plastics Packaging Collection Survey 2011”, James Crick, business development director at Nampak Plastic Europe (Newport Pagnell / UK; www.eu.nampak.com), said it made for encouraging reading, with recognition due to local authorities, industry and the wider public in achieving the 76% recycling rate when there was virtually no recovery of this waste stream as recently as 2002.
“From Nampak’s perspective,” said Crick, “the increase in availability of recycled material will support our supply of high-quality, recycled content HDPE bottles.” In turn, he added, this will assist the industry in its target to achieve 30% use of rHDPE by 2015 and 50% rHDPE by 2020. Nampak operates a "hole in the wall" bottling facility at Dale Farm´s (Belfast; www.dalefarm.co.uk) dairy in Ballymena producing more than 2.5m bottles a week (see Plasteurope.com of 06.09.2010) and was commended for its lightweighted HDPE milk bottle (see Plasteurope.com of 24.08.2011).
The Nampack executive believes two actions are necessary to take recycling levels higher: government must encourage further investment in recycling facilities and local authorities should attempt to increase consumer participation in recycling schemes.
HDPE milk bottles represent one-third (33%) of all plastic bottle types collected in the UK, accounting for 93,000 t of the total 281,000 t collected. Even so, and despite the steady increase in recycling, an estimated 22,700 t of HDPE milk bottles were still landfilled in 2010. This, says Recoup, incurred a landfill cost of GBP 1.8m (EUR 2.1m) and disposed of polymer with a potential recyclable sales value of GBP 8.0m (EUR 9.4m).
Local authority kerbside collection is the key to the continuing rise in recycling rates. A total of 21.7m UK households now have access to plastic kerbside collection and this route is believed to account for 85% of all household plastic bottles collected for recycling.
Commenting on the latest data from Recoup’s “UK Household Plastics Packaging Collection Survey 2011”, James Crick, business development director at Nampak Plastic Europe (Newport Pagnell / UK; www.eu.nampak.com), said it made for encouraging reading, with recognition due to local authorities, industry and the wider public in achieving the 76% recycling rate when there was virtually no recovery of this waste stream as recently as 2002.
“From Nampak’s perspective,” said Crick, “the increase in availability of recycled material will support our supply of high-quality, recycled content HDPE bottles.” In turn, he added, this will assist the industry in its target to achieve 30% use of rHDPE by 2015 and 50% rHDPE by 2020. Nampak operates a "hole in the wall" bottling facility at Dale Farm´s (Belfast; www.dalefarm.co.uk) dairy in Ballymena producing more than 2.5m bottles a week (see Plasteurope.com of 06.09.2010) and was commended for its lightweighted HDPE milk bottle (see Plasteurope.com of 24.08.2011).
The Nampack executive believes two actions are necessary to take recycling levels higher: government must encourage further investment in recycling facilities and local authorities should attempt to increase consumer participation in recycling schemes.
22.11.2011 Plasteurope.com [220844-0]
Published on 22.11.2011