Flexible plastics, also referred to as ‘soft plastics’, are a staple packaging format in our everyday lives, from plastic bags and pouches to food wrappers.
They account for over a quarter of all plastic packaging placed on the UK market. Yet, only around 7% is collected for recycling, making flexible plastics one of the greatest challenges facing the UK recycling industry.
Under the Simpler Recycling regulations, flexible plastic collections from both households and workplaces in England will become mandatory from April 2030. Increasing collection aims to divert more flexible plastics from disposal routes and enable greater levels of recycling, thereby reducing their end-of-life environmental impact.
But does collecting flexible plastics for recycling mean they will actually be recycled?
To understand whether flexible plastics can genuinely be recycled at scale in the UK, we need to look beyond what can be placed in the recycling bin and consider the entire recycling system, which consists of four key stages:
Collection –> Sorting –> Reprocessing –> End Market
Collection and Sorting
Research conducted through the Flexible Plastic Fund’s FlexCollect project demonstrated that flexible plastics can be collected and sorted at scale with minimal operational impact on both collection services and sorting facilities. The project even reported high recovery rates of between 80% and 100%.
Reprocessing
Reprocessing is the stage where recovered materials are converted into recyclate, which can then be used to manufacture new products. Mechanical recycling, the dominant route in the UK, involves cleaning, shredding and melting plastic to produce recycled pellets.
However, flexible plastics can be particularly challenging to reprocess due to high levels. Additionally, research identifies limited UK reprocessing infrastructure as a significant barrier, which is likely to be exacerbated as the volume of flexible plastics collected increases under Simpler Recycling.
So, while flexible plastics can be reprocessed, the UK currently does not have sufficient infrastructure to do so at the scale required.
End Markets
It is important to remember that recycling is an industry and is therefore economically driven. Costs are incurred throughout collection, sorting and reprocessing, meaning the resulting recyclate must have sufficient market demand and value to justify these costs. Recycling flexible plastics at scale is therefore only feasible where there is an economically viable end market for the resulting recyclate.
This remains a key concern for the recycling of flexible plastics at scale. RECOUP found that 60% of local authorities not currently collecting flexible plastics had little confidence in securing suitable end markets, with the same concern shared by 29% of those already providing kerbside collections.
Does Recyclable Mean Recycled?
Although the collection and sorting of flexible plastics have been demonstrated to be feasible, limitations in UK reprocessing infrastructure and uncertainty around viable end markets remain significant barriers to recycling flexible plastics at scale.
Ultimately, making flexible plastics recyclable at the kerbside does not necessarily mean they will be recycled. Therefore, investment in recycling infrastructure, the development of viable end markets and efforts to reduce the production and use of flexible plastics will be needed alongside Simpler Recycling to mitigate their end-of-life environmental impacts.
What Does This Mean for Your Business?
Although mandatory flexible plastic collections have been delayed until 2030, businesses can use this time to consider what flexible plastics are used and generated within their workplaces and how they can prepare for the upcoming collection requirements.
As this article highlights, placing flexible plastics into a recycling collection does not guarantee they will ultimately be recycled. Businesses should therefore look beyond recycling and apply the waste hierarchy, prioritising the prevention and reduction of flexible plastic waste where possible. For flexible plastics that cannot be avoided, engaging with suppliers and waste contractors can help businesses identify more recyclable alternatives and understand the available recycling routes.