Soft Plastic Recycling: More Burning Than Recycling, Investigation Finds - ListenHub

Soft Plastic Recycling: More Burning Than Recycling, Investigation Finds

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May 27

everydayplastic

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everydayplastic

Soft plastic recycling schemes often fail as most collected plastics are burned, not recycled, misleading consumers and highlighting the need to reduce plastic production and promote reuse.

The Hard Truth About Soft Plastic Recycling

Intro Hook: Ever wondered what really happens to the soft plastic you diligently return to the supermarket for recycling?

Key Findings:

A new investigation tracked 40 bundles of soft plastic packaging waste through supermarket take-back schemes in England for 12 months.
70% of the soft plastic that reached a known destination was burnt, not recycled. This applied to plastics collected at Sainsbury's and Tesco stores.
The rest was downcycled into lower-value products, primarily in Türkiye.
Environmental law NGO ClientEarth warns that supermarket soft plastic take-back schemes are misleading customers.

The Problem:

Supermarkets reassure customers that soft plastic is recyclable, encouraging collection and drop-off.
Only a small percentage of local councils collect soft plastic at the curb.
Finding a genuine solution for recycling soft plastic at scale is extremely difficult.

Why This Matters:

Plastic production is set to triple by 2060.
By 2050, plastic production could account for one-fifth of the Earth's remaining carbon budget.
Chemical pollution from plastics threatens ecosystems and human health.
The UK market sees over 215 billion items of soft plastic packaging each year.
In 2022, only 7% of soft plastics were collected for recycling at the curb.

The Call to Action:

Sainsbury's and Tesco hold a significant market share in the UK supermarket sector (43%).
The investigation highlights the need to move away from false solutions.
Focus on eliminating unnecessary single-use soft packaging and transitioning to reuse and refill systems.
Call to Action: Support a 40% cut in global plastic production by 2040.
Call to Action: Sainsbury's and Tesco should publicly support this goal.
Sign the petition to push for change.

Where the Plastic Went:

Tracked bundles traveled over 25,000 km across the UK and overseas.

Source: Investigation by Everyday Plastic and EIA

Outline

Soft plastic recycling schemes often fail as most collected plastics are burned, not recycled, misleading consumers and highlighting the need to reduce plastic production and promote reuse.

The Hard Truth About Soft Plastic Recycling

Intro Hook: Ever wondered what really happens to the soft plastic you diligently return to the supermarket for recycling?

Key Findings:

A new investigation tracked 40 bundles of soft plastic packaging waste through supermarket take-back schemes in England for 12 months.
70% of the soft plastic that reached a known destination was burnt, not recycled. This applied to plastics collected at Sainsbury's and Tesco stores.
The rest was downcycled into lower-value products, primarily in Türkiye.
Environmental law NGO ClientEarth warns that supermarket soft plastic take-back schemes are misleading customers.

The Problem:

Supermarkets reassure customers that soft plastic is recyclable, encouraging collection and drop-off.
Only a small percentage of local councils collect soft plastic at the curb.
Finding a genuine solution for recycling soft plastic at scale is extremely difficult.

Why This Matters:

Plastic production is set to triple by 2060.
By 2050, plastic production could account for one-fifth of the Earth's remaining carbon budget.
Chemical pollution from plastics threatens ecosystems and human health.
The UK market sees over 215 billion items of soft plastic packaging each year.
In 2022, only 7% of soft plastics were collected for recycling at the curb.

The Call to Action:

Sainsbury's and Tesco hold a significant market share in the UK supermarket sector (43%).
The investigation highlights the need to move away from false solutions.
Focus on eliminating unnecessary single-use soft packaging and transitioning to reuse and refill systems.
Call to Action: Support a 40% cut in global plastic production by 2040.
Call to Action: Sainsbury's and Tesco should publicly support this goal.
Sign the petition to push for change.

Where the Plastic Went:

Tracked bundles traveled over 25,000 km across the UK and overseas.

Source: Investigation by Everyday Plastic and EIA

Script

Mars: Okay, so I was feeling all virtuous the other day, chucking my grocery bags into that special recycling bin at the store. You know, thinking I'm saving the planet, one chip packet at a time. But then I stumbled across this report...and it kinda burst my bubble.

Mia: Yeah, the reality of soft plastic recycling is…well, let's just say it's less recycling and more wish-cycling. I've been knee-deep in this stuff for ages. Think about those flimsy plastics – your bread bags, your crisp packets – a huge chunk of it ends up being incinerated.

Mars: Incinerated?! Seriously? I thought when you dutifully drop it off at, say, Tesco, it gets magically transformed into shiny new packaging.

Mia: That's the dream they're selling, isn't it? “Bring it back, we'll take care of it.” It's brilliant PR. But get this: around 70% of those bags collected through these supermarket schemes? Up in smoke. Literally.

Mars: Seventy percent? That's insane! So, what about the remaining 30%? Park benches?

Mia: Bingo! Or maybe some garden furniture. It's what we call downcycling. The plastic gets shipped off to places like Türkiye and turned into something less valuable. It definitely doesn’t become the next bread bag you buy. It’s more like… giving your old clothes to charity, which then get turned into rags. Useful, but not exactly glamorous.

Mars: So, it's not a closed loop at all. But why is it so hard to recycle soft plastics in the first place? I mean, what's the deal?

Mia: Think of it as trying to untangle a ball of Christmas lights after they've been stuffed into a box all year. Soft plastics are a mixed bag - different types of plastic, food residue, labels… it’s a nightmare to sort. And most local councils don't even bother picking them up from your curb.

Mars: Right! Our bin men won’t touch those squeezy yogurt pouches with a ten-foot pole. They just give you this look of utter disgust. So, everyone heads to the supermarket bins.

Mia: Exactly. And the supermarkets? They love it! It shifts the responsibility onto us, the consumers. But burning all that plastic? Creates carbon emissions. It totally undermines the whole eco-friendly image they're trying to project.

Mars: Ugh, classic greenwashing. So, are we just doomed to drown in a sea of plastic?

Mia: If we don't change course, pretty much. Plastic production is predicted to skyrocket. It's estimated that by 2050, it could consume one-fifth of our remaining carbon budget. It’s a disaster for ecosystems, for human health… the chemical pollution is a ticking time bomb.

Mars: Okay, that’s officially terrifying. Is there anything we can actually *do* about it? Besides, you know, hiding under a rock?

Mia: Two main things. First, ditch the unnecessary single-use soft plastics. Ban them or redesign them. Second, embrace reuse and refill systems. Think milkmen, but for everything - sauces, snacks, the works.

Mars: Like those zero-waste stores where you bring your own containers and fill 'em up?

Mia: Precisely. And on a bigger scale, the major supermarkets – Sainsbury's, Tesco, the big boys – they control a huge chunk of the market. If they committed to cutting global plastic production by, say, 40% by 2040, that would be a game-changer.

Mars: But so far, they've been pretty quiet on that front, haven't they?

Mia: Radio silence. This investigation tracked 40 bundles of soft plastic travelling over 25,000 kilometers. All over the UK, across Europe, back again… It’s hard to argue that they’re truly recycling when it’s a global shipping saga ending in a smokestack.

Mars: Wow. So, what's our call to action? What can our listeners do *right now*?

Mia: Sign petitions demanding real plastic cuts and transparency from supermarkets. Support brands that use refill stations or compostable packaging. And when you're at the store, ask them point blank: Hey, what *actually* happens to this packaging?

Mars: I like that – make 'em sweat a little. And I'm definitely going to find my nearest zero-waste store and start refilling my own containers. No more blindly trusting those supermarket recycling schemes.

Mia: That's the spirit! Small steps add up. If enough people push for change, we can start to turn down the heat on this plastic bonfire.

Mars: Absolutely. Thanks for shedding some light on this. Next time I see that green bag, I’ll be thinking twice. Hopefully, the supermarkets will start getting real about where our plastics actually end up.