With temperatures reaching over 30 degrees in some parts of the UK recently, sun starved Brits are planning to have an average of five BBQs this summer, generating 4.5 billion pieces of plastic, from sausage packs to plastic cups.
New research commissioned by sustainable packaging and recycling company DS Smith reveals that over 200 million pieces of BBQ plastic meat trays are set to flood the UK recycling system in the summer months.
The seasonal peak in plastic highlights how confusing recycling has become, as the research also shows that there is confusion among barbecuing Brits about recycling rules.
One quarter admit to not recycling BBQ food packaging because of unclear labels, and, more than one in eight say they do not recycle packaging because they are unsure of the recycling rules in their local area.
Lack of understanding is a crucial issue, with nearly a quarter (23%) of respondents unconfident about how to recycle plastic meat trays and over a third (36%) of respondents unclear on where plastic recycling goes after it has been disposed of.
Michael Orye, managing director of recycling and paper in Europe, DS Smith, said: ‘Having so many different ways to recycle across the UK is simply confusing for everyone, and when more plastic hits the clunky UK recycling system, it can contaminate paper and card and creates waste, which drags down how much we can recycle. We would ask that people do their best to follow their local recycling rules, but also that the new government marinate on the UK’s rickety recycling system and give it the renovation it needs, including separate collections for paper and card.’
Last summer alone, DS Smith’s recycled paper mill had to process over 2600 tonnes of plastic that was contaminating the paper and card, the equivalent of over 850,000 black bin bags full.
Modelling carried out by the company suggests that, based on the current pathway, the UK’s paper and card recycling rate could drop from 74% to 56% by 2030.
But while the outlook may appear bleak, Brits are trying hard to avoid this plastic pile up, a positive signal for the future of recycling in the UK.
The poll reveals that almost one in 6 (17%) people say that fully recyclable packaging is the most important aspect when choosing what to buy for a BBQ and half of respondents (49%) feel guilty if they ever buy plastic wrapped BBQ products.
More broadly, a majority of respondents (55%) say that sustainable packaging is important when it comes to which products to buy for their BBQs.
Michael Orye continued, ‘Barbecues are a staple of the Great British summer, but with people wanting to live more sustainable lifestyles, they also shine a light on waste. We know people have their best intentions when they recycle their plastic, but their efforts are becoming undone due to an underperforming recycling system.’
Fast facts on the state of UK recycling
Data shows that when paper and cardboard are collected in mixed recycling systems, there can be up to double the amount of plastic in the mix than paper and card that comes from separate collections. This is a problem as plastic cannot be recycled at paper mills and it creates more waste when trying to make paper.
Despite the UK being the third largest producer of paper and card waste in Europe, it ranks 25th of 30 European nations for recycling.
Less than two thirds (66%) of Brits are confident the paper and card they put in their bin is processed correctly by the authorities.
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