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What is recycling? The purpose of recycling is to divert a waste product to a re-processor who can then make that item into a new product. While almost everything is technically recyclable in many cases processing is either not available, would be too expensive or environmentally costly to achieve. All plastic is the same....isn't it? Plastics pose a particular problem due to the number of different types and blends of polymers that combine to make "plastic" and the lack of producer consistency in the types of plastic that are used for different items. What type of plastic can be recycled? In theory all types of plastic can be recycled. However, the only two types of plastic, PET and HOPE, have viable European markets. Plastic bottles are almost exclusively made from these two types of plastic, which is why we can collect them either at kerbside or in banks depending on the local authorities' services. In Cornwall, we collect all plastic bottles including milk, drinks, detergent and cosmetics. What about other types of plastic? Other plastic items (yoghurt pots, meat trays etc.) may be made from PET or HOPE, but more commonly from a blend of plastics. In order to make these into a product which can be used again (recycled) they need to be converted into a stream of a specific material. This would be prohibitively expensive to do on an industrial scale, as each individual item would need to be inspected and segregated by hand and referencing the little number on the base of each item. Why can some areas collect all plastics? Some collection authorities operate a co-streamed collection scheme. This asks householders to put all their material for recycling into one bin. The main motivation for co-streamed collection is not the greater number of different types of material collected, but rather that participation in the recycling generally increases. However, co-streamed collections have the disadvantage of the recyclate being contaminated and this can result in up to 30% of the collected materials being rejected to landfill, we do NOT undertake this type of collection in Cornwall What happens to the plastics in other areas where they are co-collected? The collected materials are taken to a central location and industrially separated at a plant called a MRF (materials recycling facility). However, as no sustainable market exists for plastics other than HOPE and PET, the other plastic items are rejected at the MRF and sent to landfill or an "Energy from Waste" plant etc. Alternatively, mixed plastics may be shipped overseas (usually the Far East) for "recycling". There are two reasons that the local authorities in Cornwall do not believe mixed plastics should be exported. Firstly, the Proximity Principle set out in Defra's Waste Strategy 2007, states that "waste should generally be disposed of as near to its place of origin as possible. This is in part to ensure that we do not simply export problems to other regions or countries. It also involves recognition that the transportation of wastes can have a significant environmental impact" Secondly, there is not a sufficiently stringent audit trail associated with sending mixed plastics to the Far East to be recycled. Historically industrial plants in the Far East are not strictly regulated and there have been cases where exported plastics have been land-filled or incinerated rather than recycled, without any of the environmental controls that exist in the UK. There is also some doubt whether workers are subject to fair working conditions. What happens in Cornwall? All of the collection authorities in Cornwall operate a "Kerbside Sorted" scheme, householders are asked to sort their waste and it is collected separately at the kerb to enable minimal sorting at the MRF or BUF (bulking up facility). This gives a much more consistent end product and is a more sustainable method of collecting plastics. Can kerbside services be extended to collect all plastic? Collecting all plastics would have a major impact on kerbside logistics requiring more lorries and collection crews. Plastic is very light and thus has a large volume. One tonne of plastics is equivalent to 20,000 two litre drinks bottles or 120,000 carrier bags (LINPAC, 2001). Additionally, recycling collection is financed via the weight in tonnes of waste diverted from landfill; therefore plastic is a less economically viable recyclate than heavier materials such as glass or steel. Is the situation going to improve? The Government has tasked Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to propose improvements to UK markets for many materials including plastics and it is hoped new re-processors will set up in the UK, enabling serious consideration be given to other combinations of polymers that make up "plastic". For further information please contact the Waste Awareness Team: Telephone: 01872 323893 Email:
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