(GUF) REAL WORLD RECYCLING

The waste industry (and policymakers) often get caught up in the aspirational side of recycling; what could be recycled under ideal conditions, rather than what is being recycled efficiently and profitably in the real world; this seems to be dominating the conversation around Simpler Recycling.

A shift toward evidence-based recycling is long overdue. Instead of mandating that packaging be theoretically recyclable, we need a system that benchmarks materials based on real-world recovery rates, market demand (see below) and processing efficiency.

What This Would Mean in Practice:

Data-Driven Material Approval: If a packaging material consistently fails to be recycled due to economic or technical barriers, it shouldn’t be permitted unless a viable recycling route is developed.

Investment in Existing Strengths: Prioritise materials with strong, profitable end markets (e.g., aluminum, certain PET grades, high-quality paper fibers) rather than forcing investment into struggling streams.

Eliminate Greenwashing: Companies should be held to account for labeling something "recyclable" if no infrastructure actually exists to process it.

Localised Benchmarking: Recycling viability varies by region. A "one-size-fits-all" approach ignores real-world logistics and economics.

Transparency & Accountability: Standardised reporting on what actually gets recycled (vs. what enters the system) is needed to cut through the fiction.

Hopefully Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) will force manufacturers to design packaging with actual recyclability in mind based on current capabilities, not wishful thinking; it's a great piece of legislation; let's hope it's enforced rigorously as it sould, in theory also allow waste operators to focus resources where they make the most impact, rather than chasing unrealistic targets.

Of course, the big challenge is convincing regulators and corporations to embrace a pragmatic approach rather than an idealistic one. But if we don’t start making decisions based on what works today, we’ll keep pouring money into systems that fail to deliver.

Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) process various recyclable materials, each with distinct revenue per tonne. Based on available data, below are ten commonly sorted and recycled materials, ranked by their approximate revenue per tonne: (March 2025).

1. Natural High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE): Approximately £1,600 per tonne.
2. Aluminium Cans: Approximately £1,200 per tonne.
3. Coloured High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE): Approximately £1,100 per tonne.
4. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Plastics: Approximately £500 per tonne.
5. Old Corrugated Containers (OCC): Approximately £90 per tonne.
6. Old Newspapers (ONP #8): Approximately £65 per tonne.
7. Mixed Paper: Approximately £60 per tonne.
8. Steel Cans: Approximately £120 per tonne.
9. Mixed Plastics (#3-7): Approximately £40 per tonne.
10. Mixed Broken Glass: Approximately £8 per tonne.

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