As calls for the UK to develop a system that enables waste plastic to be collected and reused continue to grow louder, a new report has revealed that recycled plastic could supply almost 75% of the raw materials UK manufacturers rely on for products and packaging, as well as delivering benefits to both the environment and the economy.

The report, by Green Alliance on behalf of leading business group the Circular Economy Task Force, said that as much as two million extra tonnes of plastic could be recycled in the UK if it developed a more robust market for the plastic that is already collected. Introducing mandatory targets for recycled content in products, funding to stabilise prices and short-term subsidies could all help create a system for collecting and reusing collected waste plastic in the UK.

Currently, UK government policy focuses on recycling targets alone and just one third of collected plastic waste is recycled, with the remainder being sent abroad for processing – and not necessarily recycling.

Libby Peake, Green Alliance’s senior policy advisor on resources, said: “If the UK wants to lead the world in addressing the global scourge of plastic pollution, that means creating a circular economy at home that allows us to turn discarded plastics back into new products.”

Here at TrakRap, we believe that ensuring resources are being used more intelligently is the way to achieve a more sustainable future, so we’re pleased to see that the benefits of recycled plastic are being publicised and that more and more people are calling for more plastic to be recycled and reused in the UK.