RECOVERY'S POSITION

Recycling plastics is far from straightforward as the different polymer types and uses, not to mention food contamination and other packaging materials, make sorting individual polymers a difficult task. That said, a lot of work has gone into recovering these valuable materials, and as a consequence, the UK plastics recycling rate is on the up.

 

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

PET is among the best-recycled polymers in the UK. Its barrier properties make it material of choice for mineral waters and fizzy drinks and it can be recycled a number of times. A high proportion of mixed bottles, typically with HDPE or of a range of colours, are exported and when it is separated there is recycling capacity in Europe. The material is used to make food trays, and is commonly found as a laminate in films, again for its barrier properties.

 

High-density polyethylene (HDPE)

HDPE is most commonly used for milk. As such, investment in recycling seems assured to help meet the government road map target of 50% recycled material in milk bottles by 2020. It is also used for bleach and cleaning products. As with PET, price is dictated by quality and there are markets that offer a range of prices according to the level of contamination. A versatile polymer that can be manipulated, for example, to control transparency, HDPE is also found in films and some thin-gauge carrier and fresh produce bags. Film and carrier bag recycling is possible, but usually for low-value applications, so collections are limited.

 

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

PVC is a popular polymer for a range of applications, including packaging, where it is found in some thermoformed trays and also used in household wrapping films. However, part of the problem with PVC is that it can contaminate some PET collections. Through the introduction of reclamation facilities, that only focus on plastics, more colour and polymer separation is possible, which would help develop end markets.

 

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)

LDPE is used in trays, but more commonly in films and bags. Recoup currently advises against the collection of films, although it is working with Wrap to develop collection facilities. It is a particular challenge given the relatively low value of the end product, although domestic film collection has been shown to be possible in trials. Another issue is the increased use of bioplastics and other materials in carrier bags that can contaminate the source.

 

Polypropylene (PP)

PP is probably the next big thing in plastics recycling, given that PP comprises a large proportion of mixed plastics collections, when bottles are taken out. PP is widely used in packaging in pots and trays, screw tops and as a film. It works as well in the freezer as it does in the microwave. It can be recovered and turned into a range of applications. However, black trays, whether PP or another material, are a problem as they are difficult to recover using existing sorting technology.

 

Polystyrene (PS)