Opportunities greater than challenges for plastics recycling, says WRAP

A sector specialist at WRAP has said that despite the challenges facing the plastics recycling industry, there is “greater opportunities” to be exploited.

Speaking ahead of the ‘Recycling the Unrecyclable’ seminar to be held in London on 23rd November, Bernard Chase said that tackling plastics in the marine environment and dealing with China’s changing waste regulations could offer commercial benefit for the UK industry.

“A combination of increasing concern over plastics in the marine environment coupled with China’s proposed ban on certain grades of plastic packaging waste offers UK plastics recyclers a unique and lasting opportunity to re-occupy the centre ground of innovative, high quality, high value recycling of end of life plastics,” Chase explained.

Chase will expand on this as part of a panel discussing the impact of the new Chinese rules on UK businesses. Featuring alongside him will be Deborah Sacks from the Department for International Trade and Stuart Foster from RECOUP.

The one-day event will also feature presentations on innovative new techniques that will push the boundaries of plastics recycling from across the globe. These include Cadel Deinking’s plastics recycling project that can remove printed ink from plastics surfaces as well as Total’s plastic road initiative.

Examples of recycling best practice in both UK Local Government as well as around the world will also be discussed.

For more information on the event and how to attend, click here.