MATERIALS innovation specialist Xampla has welcomed the increase in plastic packaging recycling – but warned that recycling can’t be the only solution to plastic pollution.
Newly published Defra figures show the UK plastic packaging recycling rate rose from 53.5% to 57.3% in 2025. Around 900,000 tonnes of plastic packaging were still not recycled, and the overall packaging recycling rate fell from 73.2% to 70.5%.
Alexandra French, CEO of Xampla, said, “It is encouraging to see the plastic packaging recycling rate increase by 3.8 percentage points from 2024. Recycling has an important role to play in tackling plastic waste, and continued investment in collection and recycling infrastructure will be essential to build on this progress. However, recycling cannot be the only solution to plastic pollution. More than 900,000 tonnes of plastic packaging still went unrecycled last year.
“Alongside better end-of-life systems, the UK must be bolder in tackling the problem at its source, preventing unnecessary plastic packaging from entering the system in the first place and making it easier for businesses to adopt viable plastic-free alternatives.”
