NEW research from Aquapak has revealed that 70% of British consumers admit they are confused by what packaging can and can’t be recycled.
Just one in five (21%) say they always read the recycling instructions on product packaging. This increases to 31% in the 25–34 age group but drops to 17% for those aged 65 and over. However, almost one in ten (9%) say they never bother reading whether the packaging they have bought can be recycled.
The survey also highlights an issue with recycling instructions on packaging. Only 10% of respondents say they always find instructions on how to dispose of packaging easy to understand, 52% describe them as ‘sometimes’ understandable, while 29% said they are ‘often’ easy to understand.
When asked which every-day packaging is the easiest to dispose of and recycle, 53% said paper, followed by glass (18%), plastic (13%), mixed materials (9%), and metal (7%).
Aquapak, which specialises in developing materials to reduce plastic pollution and improve recycling, is now calling on the government to ensure that legislation underpinning EPR enables producers to use new materials if they are to decrease the total environmental impact of their products by moving away for hard to recycle conventional plastics.
Dr John Williams, chief technical officer at Aquapak, said, “Our research findings suggest that there is a very long way to go when it comes to making packaging recyclability in the UK easy to understand for the consumer, particularly as so much of it contains hard to recycle plastic material. There needs to be a significant shift away from the status quo for packaging.
“New legislation should support faster adoption of innovation that is specifically developed to retain packaging functionality, support recyclability and offer safe end of life options if optimal waste management processes are not available. We would also argue that if the target of EPR is to ensure that producers actively engage in sustainable practices and decrease the total environmental impact from their products and packaging, we can’t keep using the same tools and materials to fix the problem.
“Extended responsibility must also mean an extension to include the use of proven new materials to help producers recycle more effectively without compromising the integrity of their products.”
Aquapak has developed a polymer technology called Hydropol, which is said to break down harmlessly in existing recycling streams. When used in place of conventional plastic in crisp and snack wrappers, it makes unrecyclable packaging fully recyclable because the Hydropol layer is formulated to dissolve or biodegrades completely.
If it does escape into the environment, it is broken down by micro-organisms without forming harmful microplastics. Nothing is left behind except CO2, water and biomass that can even be used in renewable energy plants.
Aquapak said garment bags made with Hydropol present ‘zero’ end-of-life issues for consumers and brands. They can be disposed of in existing domestic waste streams without contaminating other recyclable products or they can be dissolved in hot water without producing dangerous micro-plastics. They also degrade on land or in the ocean.
