On average, 2.3 million metric tons of plastic packaging is placed on the market (POM) in the UK each year, of which roughly 1.3 million metric tons is collected for recycling. Of this total, 0.8 million metric tons comes from UK households. More than 80 percent of household plastic packaging waste collected for recycling goes in the co-mingled recycling stream. Co-mingled recycling is the system in which dry mixed recyclable items, such as plastics, metals, and papers, are mixed into a single collection truck. The amount of plastic packaging waste collected separately, such as through plastic bag collection points, is far lower.
Plastic packaging waste stream in the United Kingdom in 2019
(in million metric tons)
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Viridor. (June 29, 2022). Plastic packaging waste stream in the United Kingdom in 2019 (in million metric tons) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 30, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1328080/plastic-packaging-waste-stream-uk/
Viridor. "Plastic packaging waste stream in the United Kingdom in 2019 (in million metric tons)." Chart. June 29, 2022. Statista. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1328080/plastic-packaging-waste-stream-uk/
Viridor. (2022). Plastic packaging waste stream in the United Kingdom in 2019 (in million metric tons). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1328080/plastic-packaging-waste-stream-uk/
Viridor. "Plastic Packaging Waste Stream in The United Kingdom in 2019 (in Million Metric Tons)." Statista, Statista Inc., 29 Jun 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1328080/plastic-packaging-waste-stream-uk/
Viridor, Plastic packaging waste stream in the United Kingdom in 2019 (in million metric tons) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1328080/plastic-packaging-waste-stream-uk/ (last visited October 30, 2024)
Plastic packaging waste stream in the United Kingdom in 2019 (in million metric tons) [Graph], Viridor, June 29, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1328080/plastic-packaging-waste-stream-uk/