Only half of all plastic bottles recycled!
It has emerged that only half of all plastic bottles and other receptacles are being recycled. It may surprise you to learn that the recycled plastic isn't used to produce new plastic bottles or receptacles, but is employed as an insulation material or in fleece jumpers!
The plastic that doesn't get recycled ends up in landfill or at sea.
Fost Plus, the organisation responsible for recycling that groups recycling businesses, claims 80% of such receptacles are recycled. Recover, a co-operation grouping waste processing companies, rejects the figure after it looked into the matter. Recover points to plastic bottles brought into the country from abroad - up to 10% of the total and not included in the Fost figures - and plastic producers operating under the radar. Recover says the recycled waste is weighed to get an idea of the number, but this weight also includes remaining liquids!
Recycled plastics are used in food trays that are not recycled and end up in ordinary waste. Recover's Kris Somers: "For the production of new plastic bottles fresh petroleum is used increasing the amount of plastic in the environment”.