One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding 'soft plastics' is the idea that all flexible packaging has an equal chance of being recycled. It really doesn’t. In reality, the UK’s future flexible plastic system will almost certainly logically favour the materials that are easiest to identify, easiest to wash, easiest to process and easiest to turn back into usable polymer.
The preferred materials will be ones that the recycling infrastructure already understands. So, hypothetically, but logically (in my opinion) here are the four materials and packaging types I think are most likely to dominate successful collection and recycling under Simpler Recycling from March 2027 onwards.Carrier Bags & Retail Bags - (Likely Polymer: LDPE)
Examples:- supermarket carrier bags, shopping bags and convenience store bags; due to the fact that they’re already widely collected through retailer take-back schemes; they're a relatively clean polymer stream, usually mono-material LDPE and established recycling routes already exist.
They'll most likely become refuse sacks, agricultural films, the ubiquitous plastic lumber/outdoor furniture and lower-grade film products. This is probably the 'golden egg' of future soft plastic recycling.
Examples:- supermarket carrier bags, shopping bags and convenience store bags; due to the fact that they’re already widely collected through retailer take-back schemes; they're a relatively clean polymer stream, usually mono-material LDPE and established recycling routes already exist.
They'll most likely become refuse sacks, agricultural films, the ubiquitous plastic lumber/outdoor furniture and lower-grade film products. This is probably the 'golden egg' of future soft plastic recycling.
Stretch Wrap & Pallet Wrap - (Likely Polymer: LLDPE / LDPE)
Examples:- pallet wrap, transit protection film, warehouse stretch film and shrink wrap around bulk goods.
They'll most likely become a commercially valuable, high-volume stream due to being relatively clean when segregated and already widely recycled commercially so easily turned back into new stretch film, refuse sacks and industrial plastic products,
Of all flexible plastics, this is arguably the material the industry most wants. Clean pallet wrap is practically the recycling equivalent of finding copper pipe in a builder's skip.
Examples:- pallet wrap, transit protection film, warehouse stretch film and shrink wrap around bulk goods.
They'll most likely become a commercially valuable, high-volume stream due to being relatively clean when segregated and already widely recycled commercially so easily turned back into new stretch film, refuse sacks and industrial plastic products,
Of all flexible plastics, this is arguably the material the industry most wants. Clean pallet wrap is practically the recycling equivalent of finding copper pipe in a builder's skip.
Bread Bags & Bakery Film - (Likely Polymer: LDPE)
Examples: - sliced bread bags, bakery packaging films, rolls and pastry bags.
These are especially promising because they're lightweight mono-film which is a relatively simple polymer structure and they're already accepted in many retailer collection schemes.
They'll most likely become bin liners, film products and composite plastic goods. This is one of the clearest examples of household film that could genuinely become recyclable at scale.
Examples: - sliced bread bags, bakery packaging films, rolls and pastry bags.
These are especially promising because they're lightweight mono-film which is a relatively simple polymer structure and they're already accepted in many retailer collection schemes.
They'll most likely become bin liners, film products and composite plastic goods. This is one of the clearest examples of household film that could genuinely become recyclable at scale.
Multipack Bottle Wrap & Toilet Roll Outer Wrap - (Likely Polymer: LDPE)
Examples: - bottled water multipack wrap, soft drink shrink film, toilet tissue outer packaging and kitchen roll packaging.
These are especially likely because they're cleaner than food-contact films, of a reasonably consistent polymer composition and easy for optical sorting systems to recognise so the MRFs like them.
They'll most likely become non-food grade films, bags and plastic sheeting and are likely to become a major part of the kerbside flexible plastic stream.
The Cost ~ £250 - £600 Million per Annum
Hypothetically, but using existing FlexCollect trial data, WRAP modelling and current local authority collection economics, the national collection and processing of just these four of the UK’s most 'recyclable' soft plastic streams (carrier bags, stretch wrap, bread bags and multipack bottle wrap) could potentially recover around 300,000 tonnes of additional material annually.
On paper, that sounds transformational. In reality, however, this might only increase the UK’s household recycling rate from roughly 44% to just over 45%.
Examples: - bottled water multipack wrap, soft drink shrink film, toilet tissue outer packaging and kitchen roll packaging.
These are especially likely because they're cleaner than food-contact films, of a reasonably consistent polymer composition and easy for optical sorting systems to recognise so the MRFs like them.
They'll most likely become non-food grade films, bags and plastic sheeting and are likely to become a major part of the kerbside flexible plastic stream.
The Cost ~ £250 - £600 Million per Annum
Hypothetically, but using existing FlexCollect trial data, WRAP modelling and current local authority collection economics, the national collection and processing of just these four of the UK’s most 'recyclable' soft plastic streams (carrier bags, stretch wrap, bread bags and multipack bottle wrap) could potentially recover around 300,000 tonnes of additional material annually.
On paper, that sounds transformational. In reality, however, this might only increase the UK’s household recycling rate from roughly 44% to just over 45%.
The even more fascinating figure is the likely cost. Depending on contamination levels, sorting complexity and collection systems, the nationwide collection and processing bill could realistically sit somewhere between £250 million and £600 million per year.
In other words, Britain may soon spend the equivalent of a minor space programme teaching the public how to rinse bread bags in order to gain roughly one additional percentage point of recycling performance; a reminder that modern recycling is no longer chasing the easy materials like cans and cardboard, but increasingly expensive, lightweight and operationally awkward plastics that were never truly designed for circularity in the first place. More like this (recycling at cost) - link - more like this (Simpler Recycling) - link - more like this (rubbish) - link
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