Wood and aluminum surpass plastic and glass packaging sales, new report reveals

nneneneUK – Sales of wood and aluminum packaging products have surged, surpassing those of plastic and glass, according to a new report by Valpak and the Waste & Resources Action Program (WRAP).

The report, titled ‘PlasticFlow’, highlights a shift in material preference and calls for more research to assess the recyclability of plastic packaging.

It also suggests further clarification of the definition of agricultural films, particularly regarding their classification as packaging.

The report identifies challenges in accurately quantifying the amount of stretch wrap used in transit packaging and recommends additional efforts to better estimate the usage of films in delivery packaging.

Griff Palmer, an economist at WRAP, emphasized the need for improved data accuracy concerning commercial and industrial plastic packaging films.

He noted that the report highlights potential inaccuracies in allocating packaging recovery notes (PRN) and packaging waste export recycling notes (PERN) to non-packaging films, which could inflate recycling rate estimates for non-consumer films.

While lightweighting efforts have likely offset plastic packaging sales, WRAP also pointed out that these initiatives have sparked debate.

A Plastic Foundation previously argued that reducing the weight of plastic packaging does not decrease the likelihood of it ending up in the ocean, as lighter packaging may break down into smaller pieces more quickly.

However, WRAP claims that industry members have provided evidence supporting the effectiveness of lightweighting, although the information is considered commercially sensitive and was not included in the report.

The ‘PlasticFlow 2025’ report was published to support the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) in understanding current levels of UK plastic packaging placed on the market (POM) and recycled, as well as to forecast potential future levels up to 2025.

The report also outlines potential compliance challenges related to projected plastic packaging POM and recycling in the UK and Europe.

According to the report, the estimated plastic packaging POM in the UK for 2022 was approximately 2,082,000 metric tonnes.

The report projects two scenarios for 2028: one where all packaging materials are subject to recycling obligations, estimating POM at 2,166,000 metric tonnes, and another excluding certain drink containers, estimating POM at 1,759,000 metric tonnes.

The UK’s domestic plastic packaging recycling rate in 2022 was estimated between 44% and 62%, depending on the measurement point.

The report also noted a decrease in plastic packaging POM from 2,290,000 metric tonnes in 2019 to 2,082,000 in 2022, alongside reductions in glass, paper, card, and steel packaging.

Conversely, wood packaging increased from 1,358,000 metric tonnes to 1,385,000 metric tonnes, and aluminum packaging rose from 222,000 metric tonnes to 257,000 metric tonnes during the same period.

Despite the positive trends, Valpak and WRAP caution that without further action, the UK may fall short of The UK Plastics Pact target of recycling or composting 70% of plastic packaging by 2025.

WRAP is working with The UK Plastics Pact members and supporters to develop and implement necessary actions to meet this target.

Sign up to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World HERE