We Need Your Bottles... All 23 Billion of Them!

posted 12/6/2012 by Closed Loop Recycling Co. in the UK

BORIS JOHNSON BACKS NEW CAMPAIGN AHEAD OF NATIONAL RECYCLE WEEK (18-24 JUNE)

The UK is sitting on top of 1.4 million tonnes of untapped resource in the form of post consumer plastic that could drive the UK recycling industry to the next level. That’s according to pioneering plastic bottle recycler, Closed Loop Recycling which is launching a brand new campaign, backed by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson in support of the British recycling industry, aimed at encouraging all aspects of the supply loop to collect and recycle more plastic bottles here in the UK.

1.8 million tonnes of post-consumer plastics are generated every year in the UK, nearly a third (580,000 tonnes) being plastic bottles – that’s 23.2 billion bottles.  However 300,000 tonnes of good quality plastic is still sent to landfill each year and a large percentage of what is collected - 70 per cent in the case of bottles - is shipped abroad, stifling the UK recycling industry which relies upon this valuable resource.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said: “Taking time to chuck your unwanted plastic bottles into the recycling bin, rather than your rubbish bin, is not only good for the environment, but great for our wallets too. Recycling saves Londoners money, with the added bonus of creating jobs in London.”
Unveiling a specially designed logo, Closed Loop Recycling is launching its campaign with a hard-hitting ‘We Need Your Bottles’ message to coincide with National Recycle Week (18-24 June 2012), which is focusing specifically on plastic bottle recycling.

At a time when there is a huge national focus on all things ‘British’ thanks to last weekend’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the upcoming London 2012 Olympics, Closed Loop Recycling is urging the British public to remember to place their used plastic bottles in available recycling bins – whether at home or out in public places – in order that they can be collected for recycling into new food and drink packaging.

An example of this is in the London borough of Westminster, which was at the heart of nationwide Diamond Jubilee celebrations last week, Closed Loop Recycling took receipt of all plastic bottles that were collected by waste company Veolia from streets and recycling bins, carefully sorting, washing and super-cleaning them into material for companies such as Marks & Spencer, Britvic and Solo Cup.  Plus throughout the busy Olympics period Closed Loop Recycling will be receiving plastic bottles collected on the London Tube network thanks to its contract with Bywaters.

Closed Loop Recycling CEO Chris Dow explains: “’We Need Your Bottles’ is all about educating people about the importance of mining Britain’s urban forest.  Used plastic bottles are a valuable resource to the UK recycling industry, which has the knowledge and technology to recycle them for the future.

“By encouraging consumers to recycle more than they are doing already, asking waste firms to support UK recyclers rather than shipping overseas and incentivising UK brands to use UK-sourced recyclate in their packaging, companies like ours will be able to grow further, create more green jobs and boost Britain’s low carbon economy.

“Recycling plastic bottles in the UK is best for the environment, for British businesses and for British jobs.” 

As part of its campaign, Closed Loop Recycling is urging the government to review the current PRN/PERN system so that it no longer favours overseas waste shipments versus domestic recycling.

The company is asking for a more level playing field.