26 • SPOTLIGHT • WINTER 2018


RECYCLING QUALITY, NOT JUST QUANTITY


We need to move away from recycling targets purely focusing on quantity, and also look at the quality of the materials collected. Recycling “quality” refers to how clean and well-sorted individual materials are. Poorly sorted materials, which China no longer accepts, are referred to as “contaminated”. To improve the quality of the material collected, a nationwide collection system for suitable materials to be recycled is required. This could include reworked household collections or a revival of the “deposit and return” schemes that once covered glass bottles and today could also include plastic bottles, drink cans or coffee cups.


BOOST DEMAND FOR RECYCLED PLASTIC


Demand for recycled material needs to be developed in the UK. This means supporting manufacturers to develop technology that can use it where possible. Alternatively, the Government could impose mandatory recycled content for various plastic products. It was recently announced by Coca-Cola that by 2020 its bottles will contain 50% recycled material. This is definitely a step in the right direction, but why only 50%?


STOP COLLECTING FOR THE SAKE OF IT


Recycling collections from households are often criticised for being inconsistent and confusing. It is important to remember that local authorities do not “recycle” themselves. They collect waste and separate materials like glass bottles or cardboard boxes, which are suitable for recycling. After they have been collected, these separated materials become secondary raw materials, which are only truly recycled when they are actually made into something else. If the infrastructure to sort certain items or materials does not exist locally, then surely those items should not be collected. We need to stop collecting things for “collecting’s sake” and put in place the facilities to deal with a wider range of materials or ban the difficult to recycle materials.


Colliers International


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