{"id":1699,"date":"2021-12-02T15:08:55","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T15:08:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.plastikcity.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1699"},"modified":"2024-01-29T14:56:08","modified_gmt":"2024-01-29T14:56:08","slug":"bright-green-plastics-on-plastic-recycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.plastikcity.co.uk\/blog\/bright-green-plastics-on-plastic-recycling\/","title":{"rendered":"Bright Green Plastics Sets the Record Straight on Plastic Recycling"},"content":{"rendered":"

On a mission to reveal the truth about plastic and debunk many of the misconceptions put out there by the media, brands and even the government, Yorkshire-based recycling firm Bright Green Plastics<\/a> shares ten of the most compelling reasons why plastic isn’t the enemy.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Plastic isn\u2019t killing our planet \u2013\u00a0 it\u2019s the recycling options and disposal routes that are<\/h3>\n

If all plastic waste was recycled, we wouldn\u2019t have a problem with it. So why is it so difficult to make this dream a reality?<\/p>\n

For starters, the government isn\u2019t doing enough to support the recycling industry in the UK. Instead of pulling out all of the stops to ensure perfectly recyclable plastic waste is funneled back into the circular economy, it\u2019s actually rewarding exporters to ship it overseas with the\u00a0outdated PERN system\u00a0\u2013 where goodness knows what becomes of it.<\/p>\n

On a more local level, authorities are inconsistent with what reprocessable waste they collect and how they collect it, which deters individuals and businesses from recycling. However, the government says plans are underway to make recycling \u2018easier\u2019 by developing a \u2018clear list\u2019 of materials that ALL local authorities and waste firms must collect from homes and businesses.<\/p>\n

This will mean the end of \u2018confusion\u2019 for millions of homes and businesses that have different collections in different areas, helping households \u2018recycle more and send less waste to landfill\u2019 \u2013 at least 65% of municipal waste by 2035 (too low and not soon enough in our opinion).<\/p>\n

Additionally, the government must ensure recycling firms are in a strong position to reprocess all of this additional waste; otherwise, it will simply mean more plastic on container ships.<\/p>\n

2. Only approximately 9% of plastic waste is currently recycled (but we are working hard to change this)<\/h3>\n

ALL plastic items could potentially be made from 100% recycled material.\u00a0We want to make it easier\u00a0for firms from all industries to incorporate recycled materials into their products and are working consistently to develop bespoke formulations to improve the standards of recycled plastic.<\/p>\n

With our ongoing developments and partnerships, such as our recent collaboration with the University of Liverpool, University of Manchester and Unilever, we\u2019re on a mission to ensure no plastic waste ends up in landfill or the incinerator.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a083%<\/a>\u00a0of consumers believe it is \u2018important\u2019 or \u2018extremely important\u2019 for companies to design reusable or recyclable products.<\/h3>\n

Consumers care about the planet, and high numbers are actively seeking out and purchasing from brands that use ethically sourced materials and have sustainable practices.\u00a083%<\/a>\u00a0of consumers believe it is \u2018important\u2019 or \u2018extremely important\u2019 for companies to design reusable or recyclable products, and\u00a072%<\/a>\u00a0of people now purchase more eco-friendly products now than they did five years ago.<\/p>\n

4. Swapping single-use plastic for single-use paper\/glass\/metal will not save the planet.<\/h3>\n

Consumers are being convinced that alternatives to plastic are better.<\/p>\n

However, paper products (often using virgin pulp from ancient forests) are more energy-intensive to produce, using more resources and emitting more greenhouse gases than the production of plastic. Glass is made from a specific type of sand that\u2019s harvested from riverbeds and seabeds that disrupts the ecosystem, leaving shorelines open to flooding and erosion, and is being used up faster than the planet can produce it. The extraction of aluminium is an extremely energy-intensive process, with the energy for this process created by burning fossil fuels.<\/p>\n

Instead of replacing, consumers should be encouraged to reduce \u2013 but we don\u2019t see that message coming from brands trying to sell products. Funny that.<\/p>\n

5. Greenwashing is a bigger environmental problem than plastic pollution<\/h3>\n

Greenwashing doesn\u2019t help the environment. It simply shifts consumption from one area to another.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an established (and underhand) PR tactic that\u2019s becoming increasingly sophisticated as the public, employees and stakeholders pile on the pressure for companies to be green, which, in turn, is driving brands to claim they are being more environmentally friendly by switching from plastic to paper or glass. They\u2019re not. Discover more on this\u00a0here.<\/p>\n

6. It is possible to arrive at a point where no plastic ends up in landfill, an incinerator, or the ocean.<\/h3>\n

In 2014, Britain produced 4.9 million tonnes of plastic waste. Two-thirds of that waste was packaging and only 1.2 million tonnes of it was recycled, according to a 2018 study from the Wildlife Report. Yet, most, if not all, plastic could be recycled\u00a0or repurposed.<\/p>\n

At Bright Green Plastics, we deal with polypropylene and HDPE plastic, but other firms work with different types of plastic. Polypropylene can be recycled into brooms, brushes, plastic trays and more. HDPE is readily recycled and can be repurposed as non-food bottles, pipes, floor tiles, sheet and film plastic and more. PET can be recycled into automotive parts, plastic sheet and film, industrial strapping, fabric, carpet fibre and even athletics shoes. Rigid PVC can be recycled and turned into window frames and bank cards, whereas the flexible version can be reused as faux leather or even insulation for electrical wiring. And when recycled, LDPE, which is used in plastic bags, can be repurposed into rubbish bags, rubbish and compost bins, furniture and more.<\/p>\n

It takes 75% less energy to make a plastic bottle from recycled plastic compared to using \u2018virgin\u2019 materials. However, to render it even more sustainable, it is also perfectly strong, durable, waterproof and lightweight to be used, just as it is, for many other applications, such as building materials.<\/p>\n

7. The government must do more to support the future of plastic recycling<\/h3>\n

The Plastic Tax, a tax on plastic packaging containing less than 30% recycled content, will come into force in April 2022 to increase the demand for recycled materials and reduce carbon emissions.<\/p>\n

However, the government must recognise that the plastic reprocessing industry in this country will be ill-equipped to supply the increased demand if it doesn\u2019t do more to support it. Reviewing the PRN system will be a great start. Still, it also needs to do more to encourage recycling, reward brands and manufacturers that go over and above to use recycled plastic, and fund research and innovation.<\/p>\n

8. Recycled plastic isn\u2019t inferior to virgin plastic<\/h3>\n

Plastic is a commodity. It is relatively easy and low impact to recycle and can be used again and again. And with scientific developments in additives, like BrightFusion, it can retain its integrity and quality to keep on giving.<\/p>\n

Our unique BrightFusion\u2122 additive improves the properties of recycled plastic, enabling it to perform just as well as virgin polymers.<\/p>\n

9. Recycled polymer isn\u2019t just used in packaging<\/h3>\n

In fact, packaging is just the tip of the iceberg. Our team of polymer scientists are able to develop bespoke products to achieve specified physical, mechanical and chemical performance, allowing recycled plastic to be used within endless applications. This includes the manufacture of vehicles, construction materials, in horticulture and applications where only the heaviest duty material will cut it.<\/p>\n

The development team at Bright Green Plastics has recently completed a revolutionary heavy-duty recycled polymer formula for household wheelie bins. The wheeled plastic bins used by over 60m British households must be tough enough to withstand all weathers and rough handling for at least ten years. As such, only virgin plastic or recycled bins were the only source of plastic durable enough \u2013 until now.<\/p>\n

10. Plastic is set to play a significant role in the future of energy, infrastructure, technology and medicine<\/h3>\n

Plastic is versatile, light, ideal for innovations across all industries and can even be 3D printed. It\u2019s a major player in our future and it\u2019s not going anywhere. And it doesn\u2019t need to.<\/p>\n

Individuals, brands, organisations and governments must understand it for the precious commodity it is and not a disposable material to be buried, burnt, or shipped overseas.<\/p>\n

Bright Green Plastics wrote this blog. To read more about plastics and plastics recycling, visit Bright Green Plastics’ Blog Archive<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"BrightGreen<\/a>
\nBright Green Plastics<\/em><\/a>
\n01977 604080<\/em><\/a>
\nWebsite<\/em><\/a>
\nEmail<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On a mission to reveal the truth about plastic and debunk many of the misconceptions put out there by the media, brands and even the government, Yorkshire-based recycling firm Bright Green Plastics shares ten of the most compelling reasons why plastic isn’t the enemy.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101012,"featured_media":1701,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-plastikcity-blogs","post-preview"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.plastikcity.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.plastikcity.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.plastikcity.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.plastikcity.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101012"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.plastikcity.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1699"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.plastikcity.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1699\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2237,"href":"https:\/\/www.plastikcity.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1699\/revisions\/2237"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.plastikcity.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.plastikcity.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.plastikcity.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.plastikcity.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}