UK bottle recycling reaches 45 percent

Preliminary findings from the 2010 UK Household Plastics Packaging Survey show a 6 percentage point increase in plastic bottle recycling in the UK, which would bring the total recycling rate for those bottles to 45 percent. The survey — conducted annually by plastic waste and recycling trade body Recoup — indicates that 260,600 tons of plastic bottles were collected for recycling in the past year, compared to 237,000 tons in the previous year. Additionally, the early results show that over 80 local authorities are reporting heavy collection on non-bottle mixed plastics, with over 44,100 tons collected.

The full report will be made publicly available in October. For updates on the early findings, visit www.recoup.org.