New research from DS Smith exposes the “Dirty Dozen” – the top 12 items contaminating mixed or paper recycling streams due to plastic and food presence. The most commonly recycled culprits include junk mail, food trays and pulp fruit trays.
The research also shows that over a third (36%) of UK consumers don’t believe their recycling impacts the environment. This “Dirty Dozen” results in an average of 391 million bin bags worth of plastic waste being collected from one paper mill alone every year.
DS Smith, which reportedly recycles up to a third of all paper in the UK, also found that almost half (48%) of consumers don’t think packaging in the UK is easily recyclable, with two thirds (67%) saying there is a lot of conflicting advice on recycling and a similar number (60%) saying that the disposal instructions on items are hard to find.
The analysis was conducted at Kemsley mill, the largest recycled paper mill in the UK, in partnership with YouGov. The most common Dirty Dozen” items put in the recycling bin are junk mail (72%), food trays (38%) and pulp fruit trays (28%) – with soup cartons (21%) and crisp tubes (18%) also making an appearance.
A DS Smith spokesperson tells PackagingInsights the findings should help policymakers in a number of ways – “firstly by restricting the use of composite or hard to recycle packaging through taxation and bans. We have seen this with the ban of certain single-use plastic items such as plastic straws and stirrers which can’t be recycled.”
“The proposed extended producer responsibility (EPR) system for the UK should bring in eco-modulation, making it more expensive to place hard to recycle packaging on the market,” they continue.
“Also, harmonization and consistency in labeling and household recycling collections would go a long way to help confused consumers. Policymakers need to work toward one clear and consistent system that prioritizes material quality and ensures that packaging gets recycled.”
The “Dirty Dozen” are the top 12 items contaminating UK recycling streams. They are:
The spokesperson says DS Smith is committed to developing new packaging that replaces some of these hard to recycle items and has committed £100 million (US$131 million) to find more environmentally sustainable solutions.
“We are collaborating with partners to develop innovative coatings and barriers and have prioritized replacing one billion pieces of plastic from supermarket shelves by 2025. We also actively engage with brand owners, industry associations and government to improve the recyclability of hard to recycle packaging wherever possible,” they say.
Plastic and other contamination can cause significant challenges at paper mills, adding additional costs and waste to paper production.
To help improve the quality of recycling in the UK, 50% of consumers said they would like to see clearer labeling on products in stores, one in two (49%) would like more fiber-based (cardboard/ paper) packaging options on supermarket shelves, and 40% would rather use multiple bins for different types of rubbish if it meant that more of their items could be recycled. | Article by Louis Gore-Langton, Packaging Insights