Environment
Never put soft plastics in your household recycling – where to take them instead
Key Points
Never put soft plastics in your household recycling – where to take them instead It can be tricky to know what to do with soft plastics – but it's vital you don't put them in your usual recycling bin as they can clog machinery and cause serious problems Plastic waste such as crisp packets, bubble wrap and plastic bags from groceries remains one of the most stubborn environmental challenges. These soft, flexible plastics can't be recycled through your standard recycling collection, meaning if...
Never put soft plastics in your household recycling – where to take them instead
It can be tricky to know what to do with soft plastics – but it's vital you don't put them in your usual recycling bin as they can clog machinery and cause serious problems
Plastic waste such as crisp packets, bubble wrap and plastic bags from groceries remains one of the most stubborn environmental challenges. These soft, flexible plastics can't be recycled through your standard recycling collection, meaning if you're in the UK, disposing of them correctly can prove tricky.
These plastics aren't suitable for general recycling as they require processing at specialist facilities, which the UK lacks in sufficient numbers. According to consumer group Which?, most soft plastics currently collected and recycled are actually converted into bin bags or plastic garden furniture due to their lower quality.
So unlike milk bottles or drinks bottles that become new bottles, soft plastics are downcycled.
While some councils provide kerbside soft plastics recycling, it remains uncommon.
Instead, it's recommended to gather all your soft plastics and drop them off at a large supermarket nearby. Many major supermarkets have soft plastics collection points where you can deposit your plastic waste.
When soft plastics end up in general recycling, they can create significant problems.
The Independent spoke with Erha Andini, a Delaware-based chemical engineering expert and science communicator.
She said: "Once they get shredded or even before, a lot of times they just clog recycling equipment."
When equipment becomes clogged, it can stop the entire process and cause machinery damage.
Figures from the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) reveal that a staggering 81% of people are placing non-recyclable items into their recycling bins.
Contamination continues to be an ongoing problem, particularly for items such as drinking glasses and food and drink foil pouches.
While the UK currently lacks sufficient facilities to process everything that is collected, increased demand will ultimately drive greater supply. That is precisely why taking care to recycle your soft plastics correctly is so crucial.