Coronavirus has had a significant impact on the sector, as most household waste centres across Britain have been closed since the lockdown began on 23rd March. Although kerbside refuse collections were maintained throughout the strictest period of lockdown, there was no separate collection for "green" waste.
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Recycling centre closures
Household waste and recycling centres remained closed to avoid non-essential journeys. It is only recently that they have begun to reopen, although with limited opening hours and access. The public often has to make an appointment to take waste and there can be a long wait.
During lockdown, the recycling bins found in many supermarket carparks have also been locked, so people can't put bags of unwanted items in them. Instead, rubbish has piled up on the pavement, getting rain-lashed and ruined.
Fly-tipping increase
Unfortunately, the measures have led to a massive increase in fly-tipping. According to the Countryside Alliance, there has been a 300% rise in fly-tipping across Britain.
It has been worse because people have used the lockdown to have a clear-out, but have had nowhere to take their waste. The fine of up to £40,000 has not deterred fly-tippers from illegally dumping their rubbish at more than 4,000 sites across the UK, according to the Clear Waste app.
Although the measures have allowed collections of some materials to continue, the supply chain of recycled materials has inevitably suffered. Collections from households are increasingly important because many parts of the commercial and industrial sector have been closed during the lockdown.
Industry under threat
People are asking whether we have taken a step back too far when it comes to recycling. Apart from the fact it's aimed at conserving the world's resources, the waste sector creates £6.8 billion for the UK economy, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It also supports more than 103,000 jobs.
Since the coronavirus struck, recycling rates have decreased significantly. Recycling is already an average of 10% down on the 2019 figure for the same period. The figures are more dramatic in some sectors than others. The number of missed recycling collections by local councils has trebled, thwarting pre-determined targets.
The COVID-19 crisis has had a "significant" impact on recycling in the packaging industry, according to analysts. Production has fallen to an all-time low in many parts of the world, with businesses operations running at an average of 50% less than last year.
Plastic recycling declines
A report in Packaging Gateway says consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about germs being transmitted through surfaces. This raises fears that people will worry about who else has touched unwrapped produce, such as fruit and vegetables - leading to a surge in purchasing food in plastic wrappers.
A statement by Plastics Recyclers Europe on 15th May revealed the European plastics recycling industry was ceasing production in many regions because of the problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The all-time low price of virgin plastic, the closure of converting plants and the decreased activity globally had led to the move.
Glass crisis
British Glass is urging local councils to step up recycling collections because there's a "growing threat" of recyclable materials being lost to landfill sites. The organisation states the glass packaging industry produces an "endlessly recyclable" product, relying on recycled glass (known as cullet) being reused in the manufacture of new glass containers. Any drop in recycling will increase the demand for more carbon-intensive raw materials.
In the textiles recycling sector, COVID-19 has led to a serious drop in production, according to the European Apparel and Textile Confederation. Companies were experiencing a 50% drop in production and sales, while 80% of them were laying off workers.
Single-use packaging rise
Analysts at Zero Waste Europe point out that some retailers are preventing customers from using reusable bags and containers. However, the organisation states these are just as safe as any other container in terms of the risks of passing on the virus.
They also claim there are no scientific, social or health reasons to stop the separate collection of non-recyclable household refuse and waste that can be recycled. This was a practice most local authorities adopted during the lockdown, but ZWE indicated it was unnecessary.
The closure of restaurants led to more food delivery services being offered as an alternative to home cooking - but this increased the use of single-use packaging.
The ZWE organisation also claimed some companies had reneged on their commitments to reduce their single-use plastic footprint as a result of COVID-19. Recent achievements, such as the EU Green Deal, had subsequently been set back.
Latest guidance
The UK government's latest update for household recycling centres was released on 28th June. It stressed the importance of maintaining social distancing while at the tip, for the safety of workers and the public. It also recognised the health hazards being caused by fly-tipping, or by rubbish piling up near people's homes. The document suggested councils should look at lifting "unnecessarily tight restrictions", such as releasing only a limited number of pre-booked slots, to improve access to tips. However, it said this should be considered only if it could be done safely and to keep the measures continually under review.
The general consensus from groups concerned about the environment is that everyone must still do their bit for the planet by recycling, regardless of the pandemic, before the cause slips back even further.
To boost your recycling efforts, Solent Plastics stocks a range of recycling storage solutions for domestic and commercial use. Please contact us to find out more.