Industry Group of Specialists across the supply chain collaborate to prove the viability of UK Kerbside Collected Tray Waste for Circular Recycling
05.09.2024
A sprint group of industry experts has worked together to prove that UK kerbside collected tray waste can be recycled back into new food trays in an exciting trial, conducted by members of the UK Plastics Pact.
The objective was to establish a circular process, demonstrating that tray recycling in the UK is possible with productive end markets.
By reusing waste trays to make new trays, the process achieves full circularity and can be repeated indefinitely, avoiding loss to export and downcycling.
The trial was made possible through collaboration by members of the UK Plastic Pact, involving Waste Management companies Jayplas, Viridor, and Roydon; Faerch recycler Cirrec; food manufacturers Pilgrims Food Masters and Bakkavor; and retailers Waitrose and Tesco. Together, they successfully demonstrated and validated this concept.
"This trial ensures that high-quality food-grade PET, sourced from the UK, remains in the packaging supply chain, reducing the need for virgin material and promoting resource circulation rather than downcycling," said Ruth Price, Strategic Development Manager for Faerch.
She continues "This pioneering work not only advances recycling technology and circularity but also exemplifies the principle of maximising existing resources. Our aim is to incorporate a minimum of 30% UK kerbside waste material as recycled content for this trial."
Since 2019, Faerch has proactively eliminated hard-to-recycle materials from UK packaging, aligning with initiatives like the UK Plastics Pact to address the impact of plastic waste.
"Faerch strongly advocates for circularity. Instead of depleting more resources, we strive to maximise the use of those already available. Our initiative collaborates closely with suppliers to drive product changes and supports broader industry efforts" emphasised Ruth Price.
Jonathan Moore | Sector Specialist Packaging | WRAP said “Through the UK Plastics Pact we have identified the lack of circularity in PET trays as priority for action and crucial to increase average recycled content. To address this shortfall, we convened a collaborative group focussed in this area, two years ago. We are really delighted by the collaborative efforts of members of this sprint group who’ve delivered an impressive trial. This clearly demonstrates the potential that UK household collected PET trays have to form a circular material – becoming new PET trays after use, and reducing the need for virgin polymers. One step closer to a circular economy for plastics.”
This collaborative effort underscores the significance of industry-wide cooperation in advancing sustainability and circular economy initiatives.
