1.8 Levels of recycled plastics being used back into new products
Once material has been reprocessed andPlastic FIGURE 28: Converting of post-consumer Package: Top 10 export destinations recyclates 2019 by applications 2018 emerges from the waste sector ready to be used in the manufacture of new products, it is essential there is enough 1% demand to absorb these products. Houseware, leisure 1% These end markets are what drives the sport Electrical / Electronics recycling system and delivers the value 2% from the material from an environmental Automotive and economical perspective. This section looks at the data available on end 9% Other markets for plastic. This information is limited and is an area where more data is needed.
1.8.1 Use of recycled plastics in all sectors As mentioned, there is currently limited data available on recycled plastic within products. However, a recent European study for PlasticsEurope produced the approximate distribution of recyclate use across the main application types for the UK in 2018 year. (See Figure 28) This data refers to post-consumer sources of recyclates and is based upon an assumed UK total converter demand for polymers of 4 MT. Construction and building products account for 134 kT at 48% of all recyclate use, packaging is next at 27% and the total volume used is around 275 kT or approximately 7 – 8% of the total converted plastic material. The more complex technical products, such as automotive and electricals, show disappointingly low uptake of recycled plastics in comparison to their virgin polymer consumption levels. It is important to note there are a number of examples, including those presented in this report, where companies have incorporated significant percentages of recycled materials. Across Europe as a whole, 4 MT57 of recyclate is used in new products from post-consumer sources, with a similar breakdown across each sector.
12%
Agriculture
48%
Building/Construction
27%
Packaging
Source: PlasticsEurope
This lack of reliable data on the actual levels of plastic recyclates being used across the major polymer product categories probably indicates why there has been a recent strong focus on ‘Monitoring and Reporting’ under the European DG GROW ‘Circular Plastics Alliance’ (CPA).58 All the major plastics consumption sectors have been tasked with reporting on the current level of recycled plastics used in making their products by the end of 2020. The BPF has a partnership agreement to use the MOnitoring Recyclates for Europe (MORE) tool in the UK to monitor the uptake of recycled polymers into products.
BPF RECYCLING ROADMAP WHERE ARE WE NOW?
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