Recycling soft plastics in stores

[GFFord]

Done a bit of research and found I can recycle soft plastics, films (most plastic that can't be recycled at home) in majority of UK supermarkets, but I've seen hardly any notice of this. In what parts of the supermarkets can I do this?

I've only seen it in the Co Op

Our Tesco has a cage in the entrance for it.

It's in my local co op between tills and exit

Most Co-OP stores and dine big Tesco’s do it.

I looked on all the main supermarket websites (Asda, Sainsbury's, M and S, Lidl, Tesco, Morrison's, Aldi) and Aldi was the only one that didn't mention it was currently offering the scheme, but so far I've only noticed my local Tesco, co op and m and s actually having a recycling bin/cage. Weird how they're rolling out these important schemes, yet not advertising it.

I've started doing it and I'm shocked at how much we get through. Genuinely.

Tesco and CoOp accept soft plastics for recycling in their stores, but dig a little deeper and I think you'll find it's recycled into "fuel" for incinerators.

I've also seen Tesco claim it's recycled in the UK when, at this point in time, there is no UK based processor for mixed soft plastics.

Under the forthcoming "Producer Responsibility" legislation, local Councils will be paid to collect it from everyone, except there is no-one who wants to recycle pet food pouches!!

If your local Council sends waste for incineration, you are better off putting soft plastics in your wheelie bin than contributing to waste miles.

As far as I know, it's better than soft plastics going straight in the bin, where they could easily end up entering oceans from landfills.

Our council doesn’t landfill anything. It’s all sent to energy recovery. Soft plastic can’t be recycled yet as far as i know.

My Sainsbury's has a bin for it inside the shop.

I have been collecting this type of scrunchy plastic since last summer. Small household - 2 people plus 1 pet. We collect approx 2 bread bags per month. I was quite shocked at the volume - we (kerb)recycle as much as we can. I put mine into Co-op and also now Ocado (as they collect this as part of their plastic recycling). I do hope it is being used usefully.

Our local Coop has this facility and we have been using it since last Autumn, as a family of 6 the amount is significant. Morrisons also have this facility which I use when there. Not seen it advertised.

Just read an Irish news article about the process - Irish homes can now recycle soft plastics from kerbside collections. The experts interviewed in the article say about half will be recycled and the rest incinerated for energy recovery. I'd say it's a step in the right direction, the less single use plastic the better.

www.bpf.co.uk/recycling/where-can-i-recycle-my-plastic.aspx
This page highlights everywhere you can recycle in store, including Asda and Sainsbury's, who new?

Yes recycling plastic is good (better than it just going to landfill or in the ocean). However, what I really want to see is manufacturers stop making unnecessary single use plastic in the first place. Such as fruit and veg packaging. Then we wouldn't need recycling schemes!
I'm worried the recycling will discourage people and supermarkets from actively trying to reduce their plastic use because they think it will all get recycled so it's fine.
I don't think supermarkets are doing enough to minimise plastic packaging when there are alternatives now. Offering recycling in store is better than nothing, but if they really cared about the environment they could do a lot lot more.

Apparently some councils you can recycle some soft plastics like bread bags, carrier bags etc in general recycling collection but I think only if one plastic is used in the item (so crisp packets/ baby food pouches aren't accepted), but I think it's pretty rare. Most councils can't afford this or probably can't be bothered. Does anyone's council offer this?

Greenpeace is coordinating a plastic count in a couple of weeks to build evidence of plastic use to kick government into action so please take part!

https://thebigplasticcount.com/

I’ve been doing this religiously and it probably comes out as more soft plastics than any other sort of waste.

depressed to hear it is just burned not recycled at all.

Waitrose have done it for years. I seem to think they turn them into plastic benches.

Am I right in thinking that if you live in an area with an ERF, you may as well put the soft plastics straight into the household waste bin for that, rather than take them to the supermarket for the onward journey?

I think it's still worth doing, as most supermarkets are working with terracycle to collect plastics, majority of it should be recycled.

The supermarkets are being remarkably cagey about exactly what happens to this 'recycling'. I read a recent journalist investigation (don't have it to hand now) where they put small trackers in soft plastics dropped at Tesco. They tracked to various places in Europe before 'disappearing', going from one waste handler to another, getting increasingly murky and into chains with links to organised crime etc. Not very palatable, and actually probably even more environmentally destructive than just using our own landfill. All the major supermarkets refuse to engage with campaigners who want clarity.

I think the best we can hope for is that they are sent to incineration - that at least provides secondary energy generation and little landfill. For anyone that has a council that uses incineration rather than landfill then you might as well put it all in the general waste bin, rather than engage in this 'green-washing' pretence.

There is very little in the way of actual plastic recycling in the UK. And what there is is very specific. I wish they made this clearer, and also regulated the use of plastics so it is confined to what can be easily recycled here.

How often do councils use incineration over landfill? Do some councils exclusively use incineration, assumed most did a bit of both.

Normally a large cage in the foyer of Tescos

@Saisong I spoke with plasticenergy.com/ recently they have plans for more sites globally including one in the UK capable of handling 33,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year. The tacoil is sold on to the likes of Ineos and BASF