|Home News Sport Weather Shop Reel Travel ” Science & Environment Why plastic recycling is so confusing By Wesley Stephenson Data journalist 18 December 2018 <Most people are trying their best to recycle plastic - but the many different ways in which recycling is collected by councils across the UK has left them confused over what can be recycled and what can't. New plans on how plastic is recycled in England are being put forward by the government. In the rest of the UK, the strategy for recycling is a devolved issue. Some councils collect lots of different types of plastic packaging. Two collect none at all ‘Types of plastics collected = 0 (Fewest Types) S14 58 912 13-15 (Most Types) 1 More than one main soheme Rotherham Tonbridge and Malling Source: BBC analysis of Wrap Data BaeEach council collects its plastic recycling differently. BBC analysis shows there are 39 different sets of rules for what can be put in plastic recycling collections: + Most collect bottles = Others collect pots, tubs and trays * Some collect a much wider range What can be recycled in your area? 0 to the re lenow website ~S/ \ YQ. Around the UK, all four nations are hoping to improve their recycling rates. The review sticks to the aim that 50% of waste will be recycled by 2020 and aims to recycle three quarters of plastic packaging by 2035. Scotland has a target to recycle 70% of waste by 2025, as does Wales. Northern Ireland has proposal that 60% of municipal waste is recycled by 2020.Which types of plastic packaging can be collected from your doorstep? Percentage of households where packaging is collected Bottles 99% 99% 99% 99% Detergent Drinks Milk Toiletries bottles bottles bottles & shampoo bottles Pots, tubs and trays = 7 = @& @ TA% 74% 73% 73% 22% Margarine Yoghurt Food Trays Black tubs pots pots & tubs plastic Bags and film @®iwvonu 18% 11% 10% 7% Carrier Films: Cling Plastic bags & foodbags film Pouches’ Other OW « 10% 1%rari. expanaea pats polystyrene packaging Source: BBC Analysis of WRAP data Waste plastic is collected in different ways too: * Some local authorities collect all their recycling in one bin + Others ask households to separate their plastics from the rest of their recycling Councils also employ many different companies to collect and sort their plastics. ‘And having different recycling schemes in different areas - for example, in some areas you can recycle margarine tubs and in other areas you cannot - makes labelling difficult. * Five ways to break up with plastic = Giant plastic catcher heads for ocean clean-up * Swindon council's plan to stop plastic recycling ‘concerning’ People argue over what plastic they can recycle 47% of people say they disagree at home about what should and shouldn't go in the plastic recycling 26% say they disagree more than ‘once a month ‘Source: Comres poll for the BEC Most people in Britain regularly recycle plastic but almost half have had disagreements at home about what type they can put in which bin, a ComRes poll for the BBC suggests, ‘And more than a quarter have these disagreements at least once a month. How is the government proposing to tackle plastic recycling? = Tackle the current postcode recycling lottery under which different materials are recyclable in different areas = Introduce consistent labelling on packaging so consumers know what they can recycle= Make the firms that produce materials responsible for the cost of disposing of those items * Encourage manufacturers to design products that last longer and increase the levels of repair and re-use * Crack down on waste crime by introducing electronic tracking of waste shipments = Introduce a tax on plastic packaging made of less than 30% recycled plastic, = Ban plastic packaging where an alternative material could be used Improve the quality of plastic being exported Contamination is a common problem General waste mixed Plastic contaminated by with recycling other recycling Dirty plastic BES Plastic can often become too contaminated for recycling and have to be sent to landfill or incinerated instead. This happens for several reasons = People are confused about what goes in which bin= People are not always very careful about what they put in The plastic is contaminated with food waste = In areas where all recycling is collected in one bin, one type of waste can contaminate another Plastic packaging is made from seven different pes and some are recycled more often than others Commonly Commonly Almostnever Sometimes OS & & & PET HDPE PVC LDPE Commonly Almostnever Almost never ae & && PP PS OTHER sou gy + Bottles are mainly made of PET and HDPE and these are easy to collect and recycle= Most trays are made from polypropylene and this councils have access to the right facilities is pretty easy to recycle too but not all + LDPE, used to make some carrier bags and cling film, is easy to process but more difficult to sort and can often be contaminated with food = Polystyrene, used to make some yoghurt pots and plastic cutlery, is not widely recycled PVC makes up small amount of packaging but can contaminate other plastic recycling * Biscuit wrappers and meat trays can be made from a mixture of many different types of plastic, making them the most difficult type of packaging to recycle Some types of used plastic are worth more than others Maximum price per tonne, November 2018 Oe e@e:: £30 Natural ian a Coloured Coloured Mixed HDPE i HDPE PET plastic ‘Source: Lets Recyde Be All plastic can be recycled - but it is not always economical to do so. * Bottles attract the best prices, especially clear ones, which is why almost all councils recycle them "Coloured plastic is less desirable because the colour cannot be removed, restricting its reuse = Polystyrene is almost never recycled because there is no market for itExports of plastic have been growing Tonnes sent for reprocessing UK MlOverseas 800K 600K 400K 200K | | | | 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 ° Source: National Packaging Waste Database Hes Most bottles will be sent for reprocessing in this country. But plastic that is less valuable - about two-thirds collected for recycling - goes overseas and this figure has been rising Earlier this year, the National Audit Office reported the plastic sent abroad could be highly ‘contaminated, meaning it may not be reprocessed and could end up in landfill or contributing to pollution.Prices of plastic film destined for export have begun to go negative Monthly price range per tonne for each level of contamination a China stopped waste plastic imports Jan 2018 £200 2% £100 ¢ O: 5% 10% -£100 20% 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 ‘Source: Let's Recycle Bae ‘Some countries are refusing to take any more of our waste. * China, Malaysia, and Vietnam have banned waste imports + Thailand will introduce a ban in 2021 These bans are having an effect on the prices paid for waste plastic. ‘And this year the prices of the more contaminated plastics have fallen below zero, meaning ‘companies are now expecting to be paid to take them away. Design: Debie Loizou. Development: Eleanor Keane. View comments Related Topics Recycling inthe UK Recycling Plastic Share this story roout sharingScience & Environment Apollo 11 astronaut returns to launch site hours ago | US & Canada Leaky component led to SpaceX explosion 6 hours ago | Science & EnvironmentGove: Time running out to stop damage to planet Ghours ago Science & Environment 101 More Videos from the BBC Recommended by Outbrain Man jailed for ‘ferocious’ _‘A life sentence for a life pub attacks taken’ ‘Swedish skydiving plane The fish that gobbles up filmed crashing into sharks forest Elsewhere on BBC Recommended by Outbrain Nuclear plant ‘breaks concrete record’ Poor internet at school ridiculous, say pupilsBBC News Vinnie Jones's wife Tanya dies after long illness BBC News First image of Einstein's ‘spooky’ particle action BBC News Trump threatens reporter with prison over photo From Around the Web Promoted content by Outorain | BBC Future The benefits of spending time alone BBC Future How plants reclaimed Chernobyl's poisoned land BBC Culture Fight the Power: The most provocative song everWant Whiter Teeth? Celebrities Reveal The Secret Behind Perfect Smile Snov New WiFi Booster Stops Expensive Internet in Departamento Del Valle Del Cauca Next Tect The 10 Highest Paying Jobs in Colombia Trendingstock Toda: Magic Air Conditioner Takes Colombia By Storm. The Idea Is Genius Next Tect New WiFi Booster Everybody in Colombia is Talking About Wise Web Saving: No need for Air Conditioning with this innovative cooling device! Wise Daily Saving: Top Stories MEPs elect first female EU Commission president German Ursula von der Leyen will replace Jean-Claude Juncker on 1 November after a close vote. 10 minutes ago lam not a racist, insists Trump 3 hours ago What Americans make of Trump tweets 1 hour ago FeaturesAn incredible mission to separate conjoined twins Conquering peaks (and diabetes) 50 times in 50 daysThe mysterious death that haunts boxing Making memories instead of buying new toysa Will humans be back on the Moon by 2024’Why Ukraine's new president needs second election winBBC Future: The truth about saturated fat Elsewhere on the BBC Lyrics quiz Have you been getting these songs wrong?What happens to your body in extreme heat? Feeling hot Most Read Trump: I don't have a racist bone in my body Von der Leyen elected EU Commission head after MEPs vote Storm Area 51: US Air Force warns over Facebook event Christine Lagarde resigns as head of IMF Harlech street takes record as steepest in the world Juventus to be called Piemonte Calcio in Fifa after PES deal Spice vape: Warning as nine collapse in Greater Manchester Unknown T: Rapper is charged with murdering a man at a party Emmys: Killing Eve stars Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh go head- to-head Bianca Devins murder images flood Instagram oO n k wO N 10© why you can trust BBC News BBC News Services (On your mobile ‘On your connected tv Get news alerts Contact BBC News Explore the BBC Home News Sport Weather Shop Reel Travel Capital Culture Future Sounds epee cBeobies Food Bitesize Arts Taster Nature Local Ww Radio Three Terms of Use About the BBC Privacy Policy Cookies Accessibilty Help Parental Guidance Contact the BBC Get Personalised Newsletters Advertise with us Ad choices Copyright © 2019 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our