Plastic food packaging

According to Waste Online, packaging represents the largest single sector of plastics use in the UK. There are about 50 different groups of plastics, with hundreds of different varieties.

To make sorting and recycling easier, the American Society of Plastics Industry developed a global, standard marking code to help consumers identify and sort the main types of plastics. You can find these in our How to... recycle plastics feature.

Generally speaking, and with the exception of bottles, you may struggle to recycle any other kinds of plastic, such as yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and plastic food trays. This is partly because the type of plastic used in food packaging is one of the most difficult and uneconomical materials to recycle.

Councils instead prefer to collect a small number of the most valuable types of plastic, such as the heavier, thicker types used in bottles. The cost of pick-up, storage and delivery of other plastic outweighs what local authorities can earn by taking plastics to be recycled.

However, organisations like Recoup are developing mixed plastics packaging recycling, such as pots, tubs, trays and films.

So in the absence of good recycling options how do you cut down on the amount of non-recyclable plastics you consume? Here are some ways you can reduce the impact of plastic packaging:

• Buy goods with minimal or less plastic packaging where possible, eg loose fruit and vegetables.
  
• When choosing packaged food, go for things that are packaged in a material that can be recycled.
• Check with your council if there are any facilities elsewhere in your area for recycling plastic food packaging.
• Buy products made from recycled plastic where possible. This helps complete the recycling loop and raise demand for recycled plastics.
• Buy products that are refillable.
• Separate and recycle any paper or foil elements of the packaging if your kerbside collection scheme accepts these materials.