We generate a huge amount of plastic waste in the UK. In fact, our plastic waste generation puts us as the second-worst offender in the world for average per-person waste. This staggering reality needs to be kerbed, but how?
At ETM Recycling, we aim to provide a quality waste management service that ensures maximum recycling potential can be achieved for all your waste products, plastics included. In this article, we’ll discuss seven different facts about plastic recycling that will give you the information needed to change your recycling habits for the better.
Get in touch today to start utilising our waste management and recycling services!
1. How Much Plastic does the UK Recycle?
In 2020, 45% of the plastic waste in the UK was recycled. At 40kg of waste per year, per household, this quickly adds up – even being enough to circle the world 4 to 5 times over!
The Big Plastic Count came together to analyse how much plastic waste is actually in the UK today. They found that 1.7 billion pieces of plastic a week – or 90 billion a year – are being disposed of.
There are four main ways that plastic waste is dealt with in the UK:
- Landfill – 11%
- Incineration – 58%
- Recycling – 17%m
- Exported – 14%
As you can see, by far the most popular method of dealing with plastic waste is through incineration. This can result in toxins in the air and necessitates the use of more virgin materials to meet our plastic demand. Good waste management principles are crucial to ensure our plastic waste is cut down, and that any waste that is produced is re-circulated back into the system to be used again.
2. How Dangerous is Plastic Waste?
Plastic waste causes harm through three main avenues:
Firstly, it harms land animals, poisoning them and damaging their ecosystems. It takes hundreds of years for plastic to break down, but when it finally does the toxins, it releases will pose a threat of their own.
Secondly, plastic waste, when incinerated, releases a significant amount of toxic chemicals. In fact, this could even rival the burning of coal. These chemicals lead to hazardous air quality, posing a threat to everyone.
Thirdly, a significant amount of plastic waste ends up in the ocean. The WWF estimates that 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year. Plastic pollution kills over 100,000 marine mammals alone, yearly, through toxic chemicals that increase the chances of disease and affect reproduction; ingestion, which leads to choking, poisoning, and starvation; or just through becoming entangled, leading to death and suffering.
Plastic waste is incredibly dangerous, especially for our vulnerable ocean ecosystems, so its disposal must be handled properly.
3. Plastic Shopping Bag Sales
The “5p charge” was perhaps one of the most interesting environmental movements from 2015. In October of that year, the UK government brought out that charge to try and limit the amount of disposable plastic shopping bags in circulation.
And it worked! From 140 plastic bags per person before the charges in 2015, the average shopper now only buys 3 bags per year – a reduction of 97.9%. This enormous reduction shows just how effective this type of regulation can be.
Many stores have done away with single-use disposable plastic shopping bags entirely. Instead, they now opt for biodegradable solutions like paper bags, or reusable ones like more expensive, but higher quality, bags for life.
They may seem small, but plastic bags are waste like any other, and their shape and function makes them a unique threat when it comes to trapping wildlife. They also take years to break down, and when they do they release the same toxic chemicals that any other plastic does – bringing harm to our soil and sea.
4. Where does Plastic Recycling End Up?
When properly recycled, plastic waste can be used for a huge number of things. This includes:
- Packaging
- Bags
- Bottles and caps
- Car components
- Furniture
- Building materials
- And more
Essentially, anything made of plastic can be made from recycled materials. This is due to advanced refinement processes, which means recycled plastic can serve as a substitute for virgin materials in almost any circumstance.
The type of plastic and the number of times it has been recycled affect what it can be used in, and recyclers pay attention to this to maximise the lifespan of plastic materials.
5. What are the 7 Categories for Plastic Waste?
Plastic items have stamps that indicate their categories, showing whether they can be recycled, where they need to be collected, and what they’re suitable for. There are seven categories: PET, HPDE, PVC, LDPE, PP, PS, and everything else.
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
PET plastic is the most widely recycled plastic material and is used to produce the vast majority of single use clear plastic bottles.
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
HDPE is another commonly recycled plastic. This type of plastic is used for bottles containing bleach and shampoo as well as milk jugs.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Found in cling film, plastic pipes and windows, PVC isn’t normally recycled in roadside collections. However, specialised programs do exist to recycle it into flooring and insulation for electrical wiring.
Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
Plastic bags and six pack rings are made from LDPE. Recycled LDPE can be made into items like furniture and flooring.
Polypropylene (PP)
PP has a high heat tolerance so is often used to contain hot drinks. It can be recycled into items such as battery cables and ice scrapers.
Polystyrene (PS)
PS is an easily recognisable plastic found in a lot of packaging and takeaway food cartons. Although recycling is difficult, it is possible. Secondary uses include insulation and foam packaging.
Everything Else
This categorises all other plastics such as polylactide and polycarbonate. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to recycling these types of plastics.
6. How Much Energy does Recycling Plastic Save?
One recycled plastic bottle can be enough to power a lightbulb for over a day, but nearly 8 billion plastic bottles are used each year in the UK – for water alone. 114 billion pieces of plastic waste are generated from supermarkets every year, and these numbers are expected to double by 2050.
A study found that it takes 8.42MJ of energy to make a plastic PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle from scratch, versus 0.053MJ to recycle it into pellet form. This saves 8.37MJ per bottle, which adds up to well over 66 billion MJ saved per year. This is a great contribution to our environmental and energy goals, and that’s just from recycling bottles!
7. How Many Jobs does Recycling Create?
As an industry, recycling creates more jobs than landfilling and incinerating. The latter two are highly mechanised processes with little labour involved, as there are no real considerations or separate processes for different kinds of materials.
Recycling, on the other hand, is a much more involved process. Everything from collection to sorting and processing of materials needs a human hand to ensure things end up where they’re meant to go, preventing cross-contamination between plastics while resulting in high-quality recycling.
As well as this, recycling also saves energy and reduces landfill space, making it an all-round positive solution for dealing with our plastic waste.
Good Waste Management from ETM Recycling
The best route for your plastic waste starts with good waste management. To protect the planet, the ecosystems, and the life around us, we need to up our game when it comes to recycling plastics. Without proper consideration, toxins and physical threats will lead to the continuing decline of our lands and seas.
Get in touch today to support your business with good waste management from ETM Recycling. We’re committed to ensuring your waste ends up where it’s supposed to go, feeding back into a circular waste economy.
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