A Biffa study has shown that 17 per cent of waste from businesses and households in England and Wales cannot be recycled. The research was conducted using WRAP waste collection data from 2016 to 2020 on non-target and non-recyclable materials that entered material recycling facilities (MRFs).
WRAP recently found that four in five people recycle items that are not recyclable. Biffa highlights that the rate of contaminated waste has increased by more than three per cent since 2016.
Biffa also learnt that contaminated items play a bigger part than non-target items – recyclables which were incorrectly sorted. In 2020 items contaminated with other materials, such as food, made up 10.4 per cent of unrecyclable waste while non-target materials made up 6.5 per cent.
Biffa says that understanding on-pack recycling labels (OPRLs) and different forms of plastic are two ways to reduce the amount of ‘unrecyclable’ recycled materials. The company added that the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and consistent kerbside collections are both planned by the Government for 2024 and will improve recycling efficiency.
David Heaton, Business Director of MRFs and PRFs at Biffa, said: “Contamination happens when items are disposed of in the wrong bins or haven’t been rinsed before being recycled. It means recyclable resources are lost and cannot be reused.
“It’s important that people understand what should go in the recycling bin and how to ‘pre-cycle’ beforehand (to rinse a tub or tray if it’s got food on it, for example) so we can recycle as much material as possible.
“Business leaders can play a crucial role here - educating their workforce through signage and engaging waste experts will drive a positive change, while helping them hit their sustainability targets.
“Should the alarming trajectory we’re seeing continue, contamination rates could reach nearly one-quarter of all recycling by 2030 without legislative intervention.”
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.