Members of the UK Plastics Pact were able to achieve 10% less plastic on supermarket shelves with problematic plastics falling by 46% since 2018.
The 10% drop is equal to a 335kt CO2e reduction and equivalent to removing 150,000 cars off the road.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) packaging saw more than 80% reduction since 2018.
WRAP CEO Marcus Gover said: “The UK Plastics Pact arose at a time of great public concern about plastic pollution and has been a constant and practical programme for collective change to reset our relationship with plastics. Comparing 2020 against 2018, it has shown strong progress against its environmental targets during a period of unmitigated societal upheaval.”
The report also showed that recycled content in packaging has increased to 18% since 2018, which resulted in eliminating 140,000t of CO2.
Data shows that 70% of plastic packaging is reusable or recyclable.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataIn addition, the amount of plastic packaging recycled rose from 44% to 52% in 2020.
Members of the pact aim to achieve 30% recycled content across packaging by 2025.
Gover added: “We see a 50% growth in plastics reprocessing in the UK, which is a massive improvement and Recycle Week marked a record high in terms of the numbers of people recycling – helping complete the cycle of plastics to keep them in the economy and out of the environment. But as COP26 made clear, we have a long way to go and little time to make big changes.”
Recently, WRAP partnered with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to help combat plastic pollution in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Sources:
Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/plastic-bottles-bottles-recycling-115074/
