Research by Tetra Pak shows that more than half (58%) of UK consumers would be “more likely” to recycle their used food and drink cartons knowing that they would be recycled into other materials in the UK instead of being shipped abroad for recycling.
Tetra Pak released the research findings to coincide with the announcement of the 2013 opening of the UK’s first beverage cartons reprocessing facility at the Sonoco Alcore plant in Halifax, north England.
The research – conducted by OnePoll/72 Point in May 2012 among 1,000 adults – also found that recycling is now ‘second nature’ to 40% of UK adults with more than a quarter (29%) having a ‘set routine’ that they follow for recycling.
Almost two-thirds (63%) of UK adults said they would prefer to have their food and drink cartons recycled into other materials in the UK, compared to 6% who would prefer this done abroad.
Of those who want cartons to be recycled in the UK, more than two-thirds (69%) see it as a point of principle, agreeing that ‘if cartons are used in the UK, they should be recycled in the UK’.
More than half (56%) recognise that the recycled material should be kept in the UK because it is valuable and 40% see the benefit of a UK-based recycling plant keeping trucks off the road.
“Consumers rightly take an interest in how their used packaging is dealt with and want to see their beverage cartons recycled in the UK,” says Tetra Pak environment and communication director Rupert Maitland-Titterton. “They see a variety of benefits in UK-based recycling as do we at Tetra Pak.
“We are constantly seeking to innovate to improve the environmental footprint of our cartons. From pioneering sugar cane-based plastics to FSC certification of our paperboard, UK carton recycling is another step along the path of continued improvement of the environmental profile of the carton.”
The new recycling plant is an initiative led by the Alliance for Beverage Cartons & the Environment (ACE) UK, formed by the three major players in the sector Tetra Pak, Sig Combibloc and Elopak.
Malcolm Allum, managing director at ACE UK founding partner company SIG Combibloc, says: “The new mill will be equipped with the latest technology required to pulp the high strength fibres of our carton packs, which can be recycled many times to further reduce impact on natural resources.
“SIG Combibloc’s commitment to recycling is part of its overall environmental sustainability strategy, which includes actively supporting national collection and recycling systems.”
Tetra Pak has committed to increasing the global recycling rate of its beverage cartons from 20% in 2010 to 40% by 2020 and has been a driving force behind the new Halifax plant. By the end of 2012 the aim is for 47% of UK local authorities to be collecting cartons from kerbside, which could then be recycled at the new site.
Tetra Pak also plans to offer cartons made entirely from renewable material. In the UK and Ireland, the company says 74% of the cartons it sells are now made from FSC certified paperboard, and the company has also introduced renewable polyethylene (PE) caps made from sugar cane derivatives, working in partnership with Braskem, Brazil’s largest petrochemical company.
