I was very careful not to say that PET film is not recyclable, because as with most plastics when it can be recovered separately ie from some commercial and industrial activities – it is. I also agree that a roll of film sent direct to an appropriate reprocessor would be recycled successfully.

But there is a very different issue with collecting this material through existing household waste and recycling systems, separating it, and getting it to a PET recycler.

The key here is that whilst it could be collected in closed lid unit – eg a wheeled bin, the infrastructure is not geared up to efficently handle and separate films, let alone specific PET film fractions. It is also very important to acknowledge that apparently similar packages are made from very different materials, so training site workers to identify and separate PET film is impossible – they don’t even have time to look for ID logos, and I would say commercially unlikely that sorting equipment could be used in the short to medium term. The best way to get an idea of this is to visit this type of ‘MRF’ sorting facility. I can help with this if needed.

Recoup submitted substantial information to the DEFRA packaging consultation, and also have other documents supporting the above which are endorsed by key UK plastic recyclers. It is now accepted by WRAP that local authorities should not collect film within household kerbside and bring schemes, which has led to consideration of recovering film through existing retailer carrier bag collections. If this develops, the film will be kept separate, but the likelihood of the PET fraction being separated and sent to a PET bottle reprocessor is unclear.

Recoup (and I) are very approachable, and I am happy to discuss this in more detail. We are independent and whilst it would be great to be able to recycle all plasics packaging, we also have a very good understanding of the current and planned systems for plastic collection, sorting and reprocessing. That’s not to say that opportunities can’t develop and change, and we are commonly involved in activities to push the boundaries of plastics recycling in a sustainable way.

Best regards,
Stuart.
stuart.foster@recoup.org

Suma is right in saying more packaging is PET now including fruit from M&S, even some chocolate box inners have been spotted.
One problem is ensuring they are clean- but that also applies to the milk bottles which are collected.
More relevant is the fact that apparently similar packages are made from very different materials and this can spoil everything.

We could do with a stipulation that the recycling number is both big and bold – no squinting or magnifying needed,maybe the base of anything made from PET could have a certain texture or tint…the more distinctive the better.
Then we could really tackle the problem of landfill/resource use.