Cost of Scottish plastic recycling complacency calculated
Wednesday, June 6, 2018 - 11:47:59
Each year the cost of sending recyclable plastics to landfill sites in Scotland is pegged at £11 million, according to BBC News.
This figure comes from a study from Zero Waste Scotland and was published to coincide with World Environment Day, outlining the scale of the recycling issue that faces this part of the UK and pointing out that there are significant savings to be made through the promotion of proper waste disposal practices.
A typical Scottish household is estimated to generate 27 kilograms of plastic waste each year which is not recycled, but instead put out for collection along with general non-recyclable items.
Many types of plastic packaging can be processed and repurposed, which is why councils can actually make money by collecting and selling it. At the moment, waste which is not separated bears a hefty cost in its own right as each kilo which is sent to landfill adds up over time.
Report spokesperson, Iain Gulland, said that plastic was often overlooked, but should be repositioned as the important asset that it can be if it is recycled. He said that single use plastics were commonplace and yet were placing a major burden on the resources of local authorities, rather than being exploited for the benefit of taxpayers.
Littering is also the focus of the study, with researchers revealing that each year around 20 million drinks containers are discarded throughout Scotland, which creates an issue in its own right.
The Scottish government is realistic about the issues presented by plastics, so while it is looking to cut down on the amount of single use packaging that is made available nationally, it is also eager to focus on promoting good recycling practices so that when this material is used, it can be collected and processed appropriately.
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