Although the UK now recycles nearly 20 times as many bottles as the 12,000 t first collected in 2000, the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP, Banbury / UK; www.wrap.org.uk) says local authorities can still boost overall recycling rates by focusing on the collection of plastic bottles. Maximising the capture of plastic bottles at the kerbside, it says, could be a way to help municipalities reach their target of recycling 50% of household waste in England and 60% in Scotland by 2020.

To help local authorities explore the possibilities for recycling, WRAP has come out with a new technical publication, “Plastic bottles kerbside collection guide”, that highlights the research it has undertaken on the subject. It explains the importance of collecting high quality materials, the types of kerbside collection that could be used and their relative advantages.

Commenting on the WRAP guide, Jonathan Short, managing director at ECO Plastics (Hemswell, Lincolnshire / UK; www.ecoplasticsltd.com), said it was very encouraging that WRAP had addressed the issue of plastic bottle collections. He added: “As a reprocessor, we would like to echo the issues expressed in the report and call on local authorities to consider the consequences of plastic bottle-only services drifting to mixed collections in the context of the UK’s sorting capacity.” Short also pointed out the importance of communicating the message to householders that all plastic bottles can be recycled, regardless of polymer.

e-Service:
WRAP’s “Kerbside collection of plastic bottles guide” as a PDF document