AIBU to think we have been misled about recycling and the system needs change?

[Defenbaker]

Last night I watched a Sky programme on Youtube that revealed a lot of worrying trends about how the UK is "recycling". It turned out that much of the recycling collected by local authorities ends up being shipped abroad for them to recycle, as we don't have enough recycling facilities here to process it. In theory it gets sorted and recycled abroad, but in practice much of it ends up in landfill, or worse, just stacked up in piles. China used to take a lot of it, but since it stopped accepting most of it a couple of years back (due to contamination issues etc) some of it now goes to Poland, but the result is the same.

The export system works well for the recycling companies who have contracts to take the waste from the councils, because they receive a subsidy under the PRN system, for each tonne exported, whilst if they sort and split the items in the UK it means they only get paid for the weight of the plastic, which would probably only be about 30% of the weight. So, they are basically exporting the problem abroad, whilst receiving subsidies from the government. Meanwhile councils declare their recycling figures proudly... 45 or 50%, in many areas, to show they are hitting EU targets, but it's all a sham. Someone is making a lot of money from this system - I wonder how many company directors of recycling companies have influence in high places?

I feel so angry and sad about all this. The wildlife is really suffering from the effects of all the plastic waste, but the UK is happily exporting tons of mixed waste abroad, while fudging the figures and increasing the carbon footprint. It makes me feel like not bothering to recycle, as I think it would be less damaging to let it all go to landfill in this country, rather than exporting the problem.

Apparently it is possible to burn plastic and convert the energy into fuel, and to use modern technology to stop harmful toxins going into the environment. That sounds good - I think we need to get these facilities built asap. Some plastic is already being burned abroad, but the harmful toxins are escaping into the atmosphere.

I wish the councils would be honest and say "We don't have facilities to recycle plastic in the UK, so for the time being please just put card/paper... " into your recycling bin.

AIBU to be very disheartened and think that as a modern country we should be handling all our own waste responsibly, rather than just fudging the figures to look good?

Fudging the figures to look good, was it ever thus.

YANBU, but you will get told YABU for some reason, despite the factual evidence.

Link attached, hope it works:

Title: Dirty Business - What really happens to your Recycling.

All businesses need to find was to create truly degradable packaging. Just walk around a supermarket and add up in your head the tons of plastic in the store

@GinDaddy thanks. Voting currently says IABU, so you're right. I wish people would state why they disagree, as I am thinking of writing to my MP about this issue, and would welcome any ideas/solutions that people might come up with. Apparently the PRN system is under review but no change is due to take place till 2023.

You can't recycle vast majority of plastics in my area exactly due to the lack of facilities, however, we still have a small general waste bin so we're always struggling and heaven forbid you need more room one week.

Have a massive bottles (both plastic and glass) bin which is useless.

Shops need to sort out biodegradable packaging, biodegradable bags are already the norm in some parts of Europe, not sure why not in the UK as well. Paper bags are admittedly useless if wet so not a great option over here .

They're slowly building recycling facilities in the UK, I believe they've recently built one in Greater Manchester, but it's certainly not enough. And fudging the numbers only works until the whole thing comes crashing down.

Also, the president of Malaysia I believe gave a passionate speech regarding this, explaining that it's not an option for waste to be habitually sent there. And they sent the contaminated waste back!

In Hampshire a lot of the non-recyclable rubbish is incinerated to generate electricity. Still not an ideal solution in some respects, but far better than sending to landfill or to sit in someone else's country.

Just walk around a supermarket and add up in your head the tons of plastic in the store

And new plastic too. We've had baked beans in tins for how long? And now suddenly they've decided to do them in a plastic package. Same with fruit. It's ludicrous.

YANBU
I bought some tomatoes today. Options were:buy loose (use plastic bag), buy 6 already wrapped in plastic or more in a large plastic tub, wrapped in more plastic.
It's awful :(

Sorry posted too soon.
It's the plastic at source that needs dealing with and the manufacturers need to be bade accountable.
It shouldn't be down to the council to have to pay to get rid of it. It should be the big companies making a fortune in profit.

People have forgotten that recycle only comes after reduce and reuse.

It's not OK to buy bottled water every day, even if you recycle the bottles. It' is a FAR better choice to buy a reusable bottle - even if it is plastic - and fill it hundreds of times.

Obviously we should be genuinely recycling. But reducing and reusing is far more important.

Apparently it is possible to burn plastic and convert the energy into fuel, and to use modern technology to stop harmful toxins going into the environment. That sounds good - I think we need to get these facilities built asap.

That's exactly what IS happening, but they take years to go through planning permissions, building, infrastructure etc. We've got one on its way near us - planning etc has been going a few years (due to the "usual" objectors) but now plans are approved and it's finally about to get built. It should burn nearly all the non recyclable waste for the whole county!

Just walk around a supermarket and add up in your head the tons of plastic in the store

Not to mention the miles of plastic sheeting they use to wrap around the pallets in the warehouse - all just so unnecessary.

Options were:buy loose (use plastic bag),

You don't need a plastic bag. You either weigh them on the scales and print out a label, then pop them straight into your bag, or put them on the conveyor all together, let the checkout person do the weighing, and then put them - still loose - into your bag. You do not need a bag - it might make things easier, but you can easily do without.

This has been widely written about for at least the last ten years, so if you only found out watching a programme yesterday, you are a bit behind the information curve, to put it mildly!

One of the most environmentally friendly ways to deal with non-recyclable non-biodegradable things, apparently, is to incinerate them in a special type of (expensive) incinerator that contains and does something with the majority of emissions. However, these are generally opposed when they come up for planning permission, because of the strength of local objections - they are apparently used extensively in Germany, though, and also in Finland.

PineappleDanish I agree with this up to a point, however I can't really reduce or reuse the plastic trays from meat/ vegetables for example as I neither have butcher or similar locally (and I can't drive) nor would I be able to afford to pay a premium.

Actually if you don't drive you do kinda need decent packaging for your stuff otherwise it won't survive the trip.

And I happily reuse plastic bottles, however I quite rarely take out the reusable metal bottle as it's heavy and I already have enough stuff.

See I've managed to cross post with others who've already mentioned this - must learn to type faster

Our local authority (safely) incinerates the vast majority of non-recyclables - I think it's the top or second top authority in the country. I have no idea why others can't do it.

With the incinerators do you get a toxic ash to dispose of in landfill still or has that imprived? It sounds like a more sensible solution than dumping in on someone else.

What I find strange is we have moved several times in the past few years to different counties within the UK for DH's work. Every local authority I've lived in has a different list of what they will and will not recycle. Why isn't the whole of the UK recycling the same things? The place I live now does not recycle glass for example. I find that weird.

I agree I’ve long thought there’s too much emphasis on recycling and not enough on don’t use in the first place.

Catfood. They are moving from recyclable tins to those stupid plastic sachet things which are next door to useless (you can't get all the stuff out, if you have more than a couple of cats you spend half your day ripping and squeezing) and don't seem to be recyclable.

Just...WHY?

With the incinerators do you get a toxic ash to dispose of in landfill still or has that imprived? It sounds like a more sensible solution than dumping in on someone else.

They really vary. This one in Plymouth is state of the art and includes all the latest tech. The ash is used for building but has to be shipped back to Europe as its use is not allowed in the UK.

Zaphodsotherhead there is a scheme in the town I live in that does recycle them. I'm not exactly sure how and i know it isn't run by the local council but there is a bin for collecting them in my local community centre.

Zaphodsotherhead Get the 'jelly' ones. Never the gravy. The jelly ones slip out easily, pinch them in the middle before you squeeze and they come out in two perfect 'half a pouch' shapes. No waste. We recycle them here.

(the things you find yourself typing about here!)