The Packaging and Films Association (PAFA, Nottingham / UK; www.pafa.org.uk) has welcomed the initiative by the UK’s leading retailers to collect clean plastic films in their recycling bins in addition to unwanted carrier bags. The initiative has been established through the British Retail Consortium (London / UK; www.brc.org.uk) and applies to thin films such as those around multi-packs of cans and household goods, bakery products and cereal liners.

The relevant packaging will carry a new version of an on-pack label that encourages recycling alongside carriers bags and cardboard. The retailers supporting the scheme are Asda, The Co-operative Group, WM Morrison, J Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. “This will be a major step in killing the long-standing myth that plastic films cannot be recycled,” said Barry Turner, the CEO of PAFA. “Through this initiative by major retailers, the consumer has a real opportunity to boost plastic film recycling by placing film wrappings into the recycling bin whenever they go shopping.”

The initiative has been made possible by the large increase in the quantity of recycling bins for plastic carriers now available at major supermarkets; the total number of bins is estimated at over 4,500. The potential volume of film available for recycling is 645,000 t, some 43% of all UK plastic household packaging. Up to now it has not been possible for this to be recycled as local authorities have been reluctant to collect it from households or at the kerbside.

The initiative illustrates that there are alternatives to the complete ban of plastics bags, as instituted by Italy at the beginning of this year – see Plasteurope.com of 05.01.2011. At the time, PAFA had been one of the voices criticising the Italian action – see Plasteurope.com of 14.01.2011.