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Recent research shows that simple is best when it comes to recycling. Packaging made from a single material such as drinks cans, glass bottles and cardboard boxes are some of the most recycled items in the UK, with 81% of aluminium beverage cans and 69.8% of glass now being recycled according to Environment Agency data.
This is in stark contrast to multi-layered packaging (MLP) which has a recycling rate estimated to be as low as 15%. Technically brilliant but over-engineered packaging with separate layers of foil, waxed paper and film is time-consuming and confusing to recycle, and confusion is one of the biggest blockers to recycling. When people are unsure, they miss opportunities to recycle or recycle the wrong thing. According to the latest WRAP survey 53% of consumers do not recycle items they could and 82% recycle items incorrectly.
This consumer dilemma is partly a result of the packaging itself. Multi-layer packaging (MLP) creates recycling indecision. “Is it recyclable because it contains card or not recyclable because it contains plastic?” There may also be conflicting recycling icons and complicated instructions on the packaging. If in doubt people don’t. Even if the layers can be separated, and consumers understand how to do it, it takes longer, and people resist recycling when it is inconvenient or difficult.
Simple, single-material packaging has a much higher recycling rate because it is easy. Common examples of mono-material packaging includes jerry cans, paint tins and plastic tubs. It is common knowledge that glass, metal, cardboard and paper are recyclable so people recycle them without too much thought.
As well as being recycled more often mono-material packaging also recycles better. Simple packaging does not require complex separation processes which minimises contamination and produces higher quality recyclables. Single-material packaging offers more opportunities to develop a closed-loop, sustainable economy. HDPE milk bottles have one of the highest recycling rates, not just for plastic but for any material, at 79% and new bottles contain at least 40% recycled plastic according to WRAP. There are also other benefits to simple packaging. Recycling infrastructure can be simpler too. There is no need to separate different materials, it can be processed more efficiently, making it cheaper to recycle.
There is also another reason companies are switching away from MLP. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) taxation is looming on the horizon. The Government has stated, “From year 2 of EPR (2026 to 2027), fees will be modulated to ensure packaging materials that are less recyclable incur higher fees.”
Simple packaging, made from a single material, is easier to recycle, cheaper to recycle, taxed at a lower rate and makes better recyclate so it is more sustainable. Perhaps, like so much in life, when it comes to packaging, simple is best.