Packaging waste generated and recycled in the UK 2021, by material
About 5.4 million metric tons of paper and cardboard packaging were generated by households in the United Kingdom in 2021. Of this total, 3.8 million metric tons were recovered, resulting in a recycling rate of roughly 71 percent. In comparison, some 2.5 million metric tons of plastic packaging were generated that year, with just 44.1 percent recycled. Steel was the packaging material with the highest recycling rate in 2021.