Updated BPF Roadmap targets 70 per cent plastic recycling by 2035
The second edition sees reduction from 2021 goals and calls for greater investment in infrastructure and policy reform.
The British Plastics Federation (BPF) has published the second edition of its Recycling Roadmap, setting new targets of a 55 per cent reuse and recycling rate by 2030, and 70 per cent by 2035.
Produced in collaboration with RECOUP, the latest edition reveals that achieving the previously proposed 69 per cent recycling rate by 2030, as outlined in the first edition, will be significantly more challenging. Many of the necessary changes recommended in the 2021 Roadmap have not yet been implemented, largely due to delays in policy and challenging economic circumstances.
The updated roadmap offers an in-depth analysis of the UK's plastic waste flows, showcasing the adjustments to previous forecasts. Initially, 300 kT of chemically recycled material was expected by 2030, but this figure has been revised down to 100 kT. However, the BPF remains optimistic that a higher target could still be reached by 2035, provided key barriers—such as uncertainties surrounding the Plastic Packaging Tax—are addressed.
In addition to the overarching goal of achieving a 70 per cent reuse and recycling rate by 2035, the roadmap envisions 23 per cent of total plastic waste being mechanically recycled within the UK, with an additional 6 per cent chemically recycled.
It also suggests that 15 per cent less plastic could be diverted to energy recovery facilities, while 13 per cent of the UK's plastic waste could be reused.
Meeting these targets could save the UK up to one million tonnes of carbon emissions compared to a worst-case scenario.
BPF Sustainability Manager, Helen Jordan, commented: “The forecasts within the new BPF Recycling Roadmap present milestones that are achievable but also deliberately ambitious. The UK could be a leading nation when it comes to the sound management of plastic waste if there is a step change in how we perceive plastic items that have reached the end of their first life.”
The report outlines three essential actions in order to achieve these targets:
- Increasing Investment: Significant funding is needed to develop recycling infrastructure, including both mechanical and chemical recycling technologies.
- Optimising legislation and existing systems: Legislative improvements are essential, including reforming the PRN system, establishing robust verification processes for recycled content, and providing financial and legislative support for recycling initiatives.
- Improving communication and collection systems: Raising public awareness and enhancing waste collection systems are necessary to capture more recyclable materials and divert them from landfills and energy recovery.
Jordan added: “We call upon the government to help the UK achieve its true potential as an environmentally conscientious nation with optimised waste management practices. We could recycle so much more plastic waste within the UK if improvements to existing systems and legislation create the right atmosphere to increase investment.”
The report also identifies the Plastic Packaging Tax as an underutilised resource. The BFP believes that funds collected from the tax should be reinvested into recycling infrastructure to achieve these targets. Additionally, the report calls for clarification on the acceptance of mass balance—a method for tracking recycled content—under the Plastic Packaging Tax.
Criticism has also been directed at the tax for enforcement issues, with concerns that potential revenue is being lost due to false claims of recycled content that are not being properly investigated.
