Despite ongoing defeatist messaging from Greenpeace on the value of plastic recycling, one of the world’s leading brand owners is supporting a UK initiative which is already making a difference to plastic recycling rates.
DiGBY the blue octopus with Cllr Phil Smart
Now being rolled out in Ipswich, the initial pilot of the InTheLoop project, which has been supported by McDonald’s, charity Hubbub, and other businesses, has seen over 500 special bins rolled out, and over 2.5 million plastic and glass bottles and cans collected and recycled.
The backing of such projects by brand owners is welcomed by the UK’s plastics industry, which has been labouring with a paucity of available recyclate for packaging applications since the introduction of the Plastics Packaging Tax.
The first trial took place in Leeds in 2018, with Swansea, Edinburgh, Dublin, Wimbledon, Telford & Wrekin and Lambeth all following suit. It has been dubbed ‘the UK’s largest collaborative approach’ to boosting on-the-go recycling.
The scheme employs the use of brightly coloured bins with eye-catching designs to encourage pedestrians to recycling plastic bottles and cans. The eight new bins in Ipswich feature ‘DiGBY’ a blue octopus which is Ipswich Borough Council’s recycling mascot.
To reduce contamination, people are being urged to put certain items like coffee cups (with mixed materials), and crisp packets in the general waste section of the bin.
Councillor Phil Smart, Ipswich Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Environment and Climate Change, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with Hubbub and join twelve other locations across the UK and Ireland already recycling in this way. I’m looking forward to seeing Ipswich’s residents and visitors using these eye-catching bins to ensure as much plastic and aluminium as possible stays in the recycling loop for repurposing.”
Beau Zilesnick, Project Lead at Hubbub, added: “We’re really excited to support Ipswich as part of our ongoing work to encourage recycling on-the-go. With the brightly coloured bins now in place, we are making it easier for the people of Ipswich to recycle while out and about.
“We are urging everyone to use the new bins, to boost the recycling rates of plastic bottles and cans which will reduce waste sent to landfill or incineration.”
Helen McFarlane, McDonald’s Senior Sustainability Consultant, said: “We’re delighted to be funding this piece of work. McDonald’s has been working with Hubbub on their innovative #InTheLoop campaigns for over five years now, and we’re excited that this project builds on all the success we’ve had over the years. We hope that by providing funding to roll out #InTheLoop we can have a lasting impact in the communities we serve.”