People are being put off recycling their plastic waste because of the complexity of messaging on packaging and varying systems in different places, according to a new report.
The UK’s recycling system needs a major overhaul to tackle the problem of plastic waste, the report by The University of Manchester and more than 25 industry partners says.
The three-year £1.5m project concluded that a lack of consistency in plastic packaging and messaging around recycling practice is causing confusion among consumers and leading to low recycling rates.
The latest annual figures show less than half of plastic waste generated in the UK is recycled, and this is made worse by differences in recycling practice between different local authorities.
The report says there is a ‘postcode lottery’ of 39 differing bin regimes across the UK, and 3,500 waste recycling plants with varying capabilities in infrastructure.
The project trialled a ‘one bin’ system in which households put all plastic waste into a single bin instead of sorting it into different receptacles.
The report’s lead author Dr Helen Holmes said: ‘Our research shows that there exists a strong desire amongst most consumers to recycle properly – yet they are limited by a combination of unclear messaging and the complexity of the system.
‘Compounding this, it is a postcode lottery as to what sorts of packaging can or cannot be recycled in a specific area, with capability and capacity varying at waste processing plants across the country.’
