Wrap reveals plans to increase mixed plastic recycling in UK
Jill Park, packagingnews.co.uk, 17 June 2009
Increasing capacity for the recycling of mixed plastics is the focus of the Waste and Resources Action Programme’s (Wrap) latest venture.
Wrap hopes to boost mixed plastics recycling capacity by at least 40,000 tonnes per year by 2011 through a new capital grant competition worth �2m.
Under the scheme, businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be able to claim up to 30% of the finance required to increase their mixed plastic recycling capacity.
The launch in London today follows the publication of research about the recycling of mixed plastics in the UK, carried out by Wrap and a consortium of interested parties.
These included Sainsbury’s, Valpak, Closed Loop, Linpac, CeDo and Bowman Process Technology.
Wrap’s reports investigate the cost of kerbside collection of mixed plastics, the feasibility of recycling mixed plastics on a commercial scale and the possibilities of a plastic recovery facility and a reprocessor.
Marcus Gover, Wrap director of market development, said that "estimates suggest that more than three million tonnes of post-use plastic enter the UK waste stream each year".
"Like other waste stream, mixed plastics packaging has a value as a secondary material and it does not make economic or environmental sense to dispose of it in landfill."
Closed Loop’s managing director Chris Dow welcomed Wrap’s work in stimulating "domestic recycling infrastructure".
He said: "The challenge from my point of view is for local authorities and waste companies to provide the industry with greater standardisation across the collection methodolgy."
