A new recycling scheme from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) aims to address the huge volumes of thin plastic packaging found on everything from toilet rolls to the inside of cereal packs.
More than 4,500 stores currently accept plastic shopping bags for recycling, and the
BRC has announced several of these stores will now accept
clean plastic film packaging under the
On-Pack Recycling Label scheme.
While plastic bottles are often blamed as the main contributor of plastic household packaging, they weigh 480,000 tonnes, 32 per cent, annually. Plastic wrap found on bakery goods, the liners of cereal boxes, packaging on toilet roll wrap and grocery produce, however, make up even more, at 43 per cent and weighing 645,000 tonnes each year.
Places to
recycle this wrap are not readily available, but major retailers, such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, are looking to change that.
"This announcement shows retailers are prepared to go above and beyond what is expected of them to support customers’ environmental efforts," said Bob Gordon, British Retail Consortium head of environment and On-Pack Recycling Label Ltd director. "We know many consumers want to do their bit for the planet and this move will be a big help."
Kerb-side collections
In addition to stores collecting the plastics on-site, the BRC is hoping that council sites and kerb-side collections will assist in recycling goods that people cannot bring back to stores, such as electrical goods.
"For reasons of hygiene and space, retail premises are not suitable for handling large quantities of waste, but stores already have facilities to recycle carrier bags," Gordon said. "They can double the effectiveness of these units by taking plastic films as well. We’re pleased to see certain local councils matching this commitment where other waste is concerned."
The BRC said the retail sector has helped to prevent 1.2 million tonnes of food and packaging waste since 2005.
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