The new target aims for a combined reuse and recycling rate of 55% by 2030 and 70% by 2035.
In the newly released second edition of its Recycling Roadmap – produced in collaboration with RECOUP – stated that achieving the original goal is “unrealistic” given the “limited progress” made since the first edition came out in 2021.
This is the first time the forecast includes reuse, which the BPF said is to recognise its “anticipated role” in the future of the plastics industry.
BPF sustainability manager, Helen Jordan, said: “The forecasts within the new BPF Recycling Roadmap present milestones that are achievable but also deliberately ambitious. The UK could be a leading nation when it comes to the sound management of plastic waste if there is a step change in how we perceive plastic items that have reached the end of their first life.
“We call upon the government to help the UK achieve its true potential as an environmentally conscientious nation with optimized waste management practices. We could recycle so much more plastic waste within the UK if improvements to existing systems and legislation create the right atmosphere to increase investment.”
The report blamed the slow progress on the delays in implementing key policies and “challenging” economic circumstances.
Alongside increased investment and improved legislation, the report called for improved communication and collection.
Lack of support for chemical recycling
The report also identified that the amount of material chemically recycled within the UK by 2030 is 200kT lower than the first roadmap indicated.
In a recent opinion piece for letsrecycle.com, Jordan called for an end to “political equivocation” in order to encourage more investment into chemical recycling in the UK.
BPF predicted that 400kT of chemically recycled material is possible by 2035, if certain obstacles are overcome. Most notably, it calls for clarification on whether mass balance is acceptable within the scope of Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT).
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