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RECOUP t: + 44 (0) 1733 390021 e: enquiry@recoup.org Registered Office: RECycling Of Used Plastics Ltd Tower House Lucy Tower Street Lincoln LN1 1XW Co Reg: 2435729 VAT Reg No: 546 5837 10 Reg Charity No: 1072029 Registered environment body Number: 722037 |
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| Current Issues > News & Comments > Read news | ||
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| Mixed Plastics round-up | ||
| Main News Page >> | ||
| Published: 18/02/2008 | ||
The recovery and recycling of mixed plastics was a hot topic in 2007 - so much so that we dedicated our October event to the subject. The term 'mixed plastics' is at present a little undefined. For some it simply means mixed bottle plastics e.g. PET, PVC or HDPE. For others, it means all other forms of packaging and packaging materials such as pots, tubs, trays and bags, where the material types are even broader, incorporating PET, PVC, HDPE, LDPE, PP, PS and other variants. According to the latest figures from WRAP, at least one million tonnes of household mixed plastics end up in landfill every year. As a waste stream, mixed plastics throws up several challenges. It lumps together items that vary in size; are made from different polymers, some of which are multilayered or laminated; and, crucially, can contain high levels of contamination, such as food residue. Working group sessions were run at our October conference to examine where we currently stand in the process of collecting and recycling mixed plastics and what the future holds. Delegates from manufacturers, retailers and recyclers came together to discuss the issues and opportunities thrown up by mixed plastics from both a commercial and consumer perspective. The common consensus was that unless we stop and take a step back to review how we can progress the way in which mixed plastics are processed, disaster could be around the corner. Many delegates felt that consumers were keen to recycle all their plastics, but that there was a general lack of understanding and information available about what the differences were between types of plastics. Responses were mixed regarding the design of packaging, how mixed plastics should be collected and recycled, and what the end market should be. WRAP is also undertaking two projects focusing on mixed plastics. The first involves a review of current UK mixed plastics collection activity. The second is the testing of a range of technologies for separating out different plastic materials, including environmental and economic reviews. It will also consider alternative recovery options, such as landfill, incineration and chemical treatment. | ||
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