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TOMRA Sorting Recycling has published a free downloadable e-book exploring the role that recycling can play in addressing the world’s worsening resource crisis. ‘The Viability of Using 100% Recycled Plastics’, available on the TOMRA website, demonstrates that it is both technically feasible and economically valuable to produce plastic products and packaging from 100 per cent recycled plastic.
Consumer awareness about the environmental impact of plastic packaging is at an all-time high, and at the same time there is greater focus on end-of-life recyclability among product designers and manufacturers. TOMRA’s e-book outlines ways in which using 100 per cent recycled plastics in goods production can benefit companies from a corporate social responsibility perspective, building customer loyalty and ultimately benefiting their business performance.
If the UK is to meet the new targets set out in the government’s Resources and Waste Strategy then we will have to invest in our recycling infrastructure to boost both capacity and output quality – but a lot can be done now with the technologies that already exist.
TOMRA’s e-book explains how the significant progress in plastics recycling technologies – such as the SHARP EYE and Laser Object Detection (LOD) systems recently introduced by TOMRA – makes using 100 per cent recycled plastics in new goods production not only technically possible, but also economically worthwhile, even for PET products.
Brian Gist, Head of TOMRA UK, comments: “New technologies are challenging previous assumptions that recycled materials must necessarily be of inferior quality. That’s simply not the case and, with the right technology in place, manufacturers of plastic products and packaging will be able to profit from the commercial opportunities made possible by the greater use of recycled plastics.”
Find out more about TOMRA and download the e-book on the company’s website.
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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.