A six-year-old boy, dubbed "Sweet Tub Teddy," successfully collected and recycled over 2,500 polypropylene (PP) confectionery tubs; a material that Veolia, Hampshire's waste contractor, does not currently segregate for recycling (according to BBC - link).
This raises serious questions about why a highly competent, well managed, resource-rich company like Veolia is failing to do what a child has proven is possible?
Is this a case of Veolia having the capability but not the incentive?
Veolia is a global waste management leader with cutting-edge technology and management expertise. Despite this, their MRFs in Hampshire do not (apparently) segregate PP for recycling; I assume (guess) this is due to contractual and financial limitations rather than a lack of technical ability which Veolia has in abundance.
PP is perfectly recyclable, but it's worth is significantly less than PET and HDPE. If Veolia operates under a fixed-price contract (set gate fees + percentage of rebates) there's no financial penalty for incinerating PP instead of recycling it as the contract structure prioritises cost efficiency over maximising recycling; contradicting sustainability goals.
This also undermines the principles of Simpler Recycling which, as from 31/03/2025 is meant to standardise collections and increase actual recycling rates - if MRFs like Veolia’s choose not to process certain recyclables even when they are collected, the system fails in practice.
Households are led to believe that their recyclables will be properly processed but in reality, whether something gets recycled could be dictated by MRF contracts and commercial viability rather than wishful environmental policy.
IN SUMMARY
If a six-year-old can successfully collect clean PP and send it for recycling, why can’t Veolia and Hampshire County Council?
Is this a case of Veolia having the capability but not the incentive?
Veolia is a global waste management leader with cutting-edge technology and management expertise. Despite this, their MRFs in Hampshire do not (apparently) segregate PP for recycling; I assume (guess) this is due to contractual and financial limitations rather than a lack of technical ability which Veolia has in abundance.
PP is perfectly recyclable, but it's worth is significantly less than PET and HDPE. If Veolia operates under a fixed-price contract (set gate fees + percentage of rebates) there's no financial penalty for incinerating PP instead of recycling it as the contract structure prioritises cost efficiency over maximising recycling; contradicting sustainability goals.
This also undermines the principles of Simpler Recycling which, as from 31/03/2025 is meant to standardise collections and increase actual recycling rates - if MRFs like Veolia’s choose not to process certain recyclables even when they are collected, the system fails in practice.
Households are led to believe that their recyclables will be properly processed but in reality, whether something gets recycled could be dictated by MRF contracts and commercial viability rather than wishful environmental policy.
IN SUMMARY
If a six-year-old can successfully collect clean PP and send it for recycling, why can’t Veolia and Hampshire County Council?
As demonstrated, the answer lies not in the difficulty of recycling or the competence of the waste management company but possibly in a national local authority waste contract system traditionally built around cost restraint rather than true circular economy principles.
Until financial incentives and contract structures align with recycling ambitions, stories like Sweet Tub Teddy’s will continue to expose how waste management is failing to deliver on its promises and effectively hinder Simpler Recycling.
Maybe Teddy should apply for the role as Hampshire County Council Waste Tsar – overhauling contracts so that waste isn’t burned because it’s cheaper than doing the right thing? Project Integra - link - Where were Teddy's tubs recycled - link - More like this (Simpler Recycling) - link
Until financial incentives and contract structures align with recycling ambitions, stories like Sweet Tub Teddy’s will continue to expose how waste management is failing to deliver on its promises and effectively hinder Simpler Recycling.
Maybe Teddy should apply for the role as Hampshire County Council Waste Tsar – overhauling contracts so that waste isn’t burned because it’s cheaper than doing the right thing? Project Integra - link - Where were Teddy's tubs recycled - link - More like this (Simpler Recycling) - link
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