Why is recyclable waste going abroad?
Some of our recycling – including plastic – is exported to be made into new products elsewhere, especially China, where there is a much larger manufacturing industry than we have here in the UK. There is very strong demand in China for recycled PET plastic (fizzy drink bottles), which is spun into polyester fibre and used to make textiles such as polar fleece, and HDPE plastic (milk bottles), which is turned into a variety of household products such as pipes, crates, bottles and films. China is a major manufacturer of plastic items – therefore, if we want recycled plastics to be used again, it is inevitable that at least a proportion of our waste plastics will be exported to China to be reused. The UK has a huge economy and rate of consumption for its size and as new recycling plants start to open here, there will be increased demand from the UK for these materials.
