Printed labels telling consumers how and where to recycle plastic milk bottles may have contributed to a surge in the number being recycled.
According to a new study by Recoup (RECycling Of Used Plastics Limited), 76 per cent of HDPE milk bottles consumed and collected in Britain last year were recycled, more than the 72 per cent recorded in 2009.
This means that 281,000 tonnes of plastic was kept from going to landfill sites, with milk bottles representing 93,000 tonnes of this total.
More kerbside plastic recycling collections were listed as the main reason for the increase.
Nampak's James Crick said the new data makes encouraging reading, but urged the government to do more to prompt an even greater number of people to recycle their plastic, perhaps using peelable labels featuring instructions.
In August, a survey by Freedonia found that demand for recycled plastic for packaging will increase by ten per cent by 2020, European Plastics News reported.
Denny Bros Ltd, 09 November 2011
