Closed loop recycling
Some manufacturers and retailers are going one step further by designing a cyclical or “closed loop” process for their products. “Closed loop” recycling means that recycled content is used in products and then the goods are collected after use by the companies, recycled and then re-manufactured into new products. With the increasing price of plastic, a petroleum derivative, recycling plastic has the potential to be cost effective.
Ribena plastic bottles now come in 100% recycled polyethylene teraphthalate (R-PET) plastic, and Marks & Spencer uses 50% recycled content in 63% of all its PET plastic packaging. Bottle weights have been reduced.
To promote recycling, better recycling is needed and business, especially in UK and the EU the companies are working with local authorities on initiatives to improve PET recovery and recycling. To ensure more availability of recycled plastic available for reprocessing.
At present most plastic is still going to landfill As a result there are greater economic incentives to set up plastic recycling plants in the UK to secure local supply. This month, a plastic recycling plant opens in Dagenham in London. This will take 35,000 tonnes of recycled plastic bottles, including milk and soft drink bottles, and turn them back into raw recycled material for new food and drink packaging.
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