UK recycling problems and how to properly solve them

The last years have been tough for UK in terms of plastic waste recycling. According to research from 2014, only 1.2 million tons of plastic waste have been recycled from a total of 4.9 million tons of general waste generated by UK citizens. As you can see – this is a serious problem. However, there is still light at the end of the tunnel and solving this problem is not yet a myth.
Having this in mind, it is generally considered that recycling issues are not with the people, but with the plastic recycling system itself. There are too many rules, due to too many different types of plastic – some are recycled easily and some of them not. And here is where the problem starts – mainly during its distribution and disposal.

According to Junk Bunk, a famous company for rubbish disposal in the UK, people in the country really do want to recycle their waste, but they are limited by the offered recycling programs which make it hard to understand the whole process. Clear rules should be created and people should be educated more on this. Along with that, we need newer and better technologies and recycling solutions. It is not right that recycling companies depend on people to do their job. They should find solutions by themselves.

Where does the confusion come from?
The confusion comes at the very beginning of the process. It is not only the distribution of the waste from other non-plastic waste, but also distribution of different types of plastic. It is important to make a note that all plastic containers are properly tagged based on the type of plastic they are made of. Still some people are not really aware that these tags exist.

What is the solution with recycling in the UK?
Responsible figures say that there are multiple solutions which have been applied for now. The key factor is identification, that Europe does not own a stable recycling market since most of the waste is being exported to China and Malaysia. These countries use this recycled raw material for most of its own products. Thus, the best and simple solution is to improve the recycling process.

Technology is slow and we need solutions now, technology must catch up with current needs. One of the ways to do so, is to make manufacturers use more “raw” plastics or easy-to-recycle plastic.

Another option in this direction, is the new taxation implemented by UK government which requires plastic packages to be made of at least 30% recyclable materials. A lot of companies are already changing their packaging in order to work to comply with this requirement. The target by 2025 is that all companies start doing so. See how businesses are adapting to the new packaging regulations.

How to make recycling our routine?
The main target is to make recycling less confusing for people and to encourage them to do it on daily basis as part of their routine. All the changes taking place will help customers to understand more about the tagging on every container and therefore makes the disposable process easier.

The idea is to label products as “recyclable,” “reusable,” or “compostable.” This should make things much clearer for people and will encourage them to recycle. They will not waste extra time figuring out how to recycle certain containers, since everything will basically be written on them.

Recycling is one of the ways to reduce the world’s pollution and all countries should find a way to do it. Most of the waste in the world, especially plastic, ends up in the ocean. There it can poison fish and a lot of it is being eaten by sea species which we also then eat. Our plastic is coming back to us, no matter if we want it or not. So it is our responsibility to create ways to reduce it.