
What happens to plastic waste in the UK?
In 2021, the recycling rate of plastic packaging waste in the UK stood at around 44 percent, after more or less stagnating in the past five years. Recycling rates also include energy recovery from incineration and plastic waste exports. It is believed that almost half of all UK plastic waste is incinerated for energy recovery, with 25 percent sent to landfills and just 12 percent recycled in UK reprocessing facilities. The remaining waste is shipped abroad.The Netherlands is now the main destination for UK plastic waste, importing almost one-quarter of shipments in 2022. The UK lacks the infrastructure to deal with the enormous amounts of plastic waste it produces each year, so it has relied on exports for many years. Recent bans and restrictions on waste imports by countries such as China has placed increased pressure on how the UK manages its waste and its government has been urged to invest in recycling infrastructure and new recycling technologies.