Liz Gyekye / PackagingNews

Industry welcomes plastics recycling breakthroughs

The plastics industry has welcomed Wrap’s recent announcement that it has identified methods of recycling mixed plastics.

Wrap announced, last Friday (23 September), that almost all plastic packaging could soon be recyclable after a series of trials identified ways of diverting the material away from landfill.

This includes black plastics, laminated plastics and plastic films.

British Plastics Federation director general Peter Davis told PN: “The BPF wants to work with all stakeholders to prevent used plastics going into landfill. It’s a waste of a valuable resource. The WRAP studies indicate recycling possibilities for black plastics and polypropylene which are currently hard to recycle.

“They acknowledge more work needs to be done to overcome barriers. Recycling has to make economic and environmental sense but these studies provide some positive indications on what could be achieved.”

BPF Recycling Group chairman Roger Baynham added: “The BPF and in particular its Recycling Group is keen to work with stake holders to increase the  recycling of plastic waste and deliver the aspirations of the Plastics 20/20 commitment.

“Whilst there are practical and economic barriers to overcome, the work which WRAP have undertaken in areas such as identification and sorting of black plastics and in film recycling make a compelling case for recycling which we hope will result in continued investment and growth in this sector.”