The importance of plastics recycling in the UK has been reinforced by new research which shows much of the population believes the future focus should be on the material. According to a YouGov poll commissioned by French waste management group Veolia (Aubervilliers; www.veolia.com), 91% of UK adults believe the importance of recycling will increase in the next five years, while more than half of those polled said recycling efforts should focus on plastics. The survey discovered that 81% of respondents understood what materials were recyclable, including food waste (48%), textiles (44%) and electronic waste (41%).

Speaking about the survey, Tim Duret, sustainable technology director at Veolia UK and Ireland, said the proposed environment bill would incentivise manufacturers to eco-design their products, making the recycling process easier and more accessible. “It is therefore essential that the plastics packaging tax and the Resources and Waste Strategy go ahead without delay, so the nation can meet our sustainable targets and do the planet justice,” he added.

In November 2020, the UK government published a draft for the purpose of taxing plastic packaging (see Plasteurope.com of 20.11.2020). Meanwhile, a recently published survey by UK recycling body Recoup (Petersborough; www.recoup.org) shows an upward trend in household plastics collection in the country. Coronavirus-related behavioral changes appear to have led to a significant increase in plastics recycling during the first lockdown in 2020 (see Plasteurope.com of 18.12.2020).