Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 25th April 2024 Issue no. 1111

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A 'bin-win' situation for previously unrecyclable plastics

To help people at this year' British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park, to recycle previously unrecyclable plastic, sponsor Barclays partnered with innovative UK business Recycling Technologies, whose system helps revellers recycle troublesome plastics such as bags, crisp packets and bottle caps.

Special recycling bins were installed to support the festival's already strong recycling efforts, with staff helping to direct festival-goers to the 25 recycling points.

Single-use plastic is a hot topic around the music festival season, as revellers leave behind mounds of unrecyclable plastic at music sites every year, of which a large amount is single-use food wrappers.

Some 60 British festivals have pledged to go single-use free by 2021 - but outright bans don't address the issue of what people bring on site and what to do with these unrecyclable plastic items to keep them out of landfill and the eco-system.

Thanks to its patented technology, Recycling Technologies was able to recycle almost all of the previously unrecyclable plastic that was brought on site by the public. From snack packets to pots, plastic bags to bottle caps, its 25 recycling bins accepted various forms of previously unrecyclable plastic, which was then taken to Swindon and turned into 'Plaxx', a raw material used to create new plastic.

The bins were being trialled to show the potential offered by the technology at a large-scale event, but would be useful anywhere single-use plastic is used and discarded.

"If every local authority in the UK used Recycling Technologies' machines, the percentage of plastic that can be recycled could dramatically increase from c.10% up towards 90%," said a spokesperson.

"Other recycling systems are able to turn some plastic into lower-grade items, but Recycling Technologies' unique system means the recycled plastic is high enough quality to go back into consumer products - every time it is recycled - which keeps the plastic out of the ecosystem and ensures it continues to play a useful role."

Elena Parisi, sales & marketing director at Recycling Technologies adds: "Plastic recycling is our business but also our passion - our machine turns plastic waste into high-grade, useful raw materials, which means it stays out of landfill and doesn't harm the environment.

"Some plastics are vital to keep food fresh and healthcare safe, so our aim is to help ensure that this needed plastic is recycled. With the right support from companies such as Barclays, we can help plastic all across the UK get a second, third, fourth chance at life."

www.recyclingtechnologies.co.uk

8th August 2019