Generation of plastic packaging waste in the UK 2012-2021

Approximately 2.5 million metric tons of plastic packaging waste were generated in the United Kingdom in 2021, a slight increase from the previous year. This was also the highest figure recorded in the country since 2012. Snack bags, packets, and wrappers as well as food and vegetables packaging are the most common type of plastic packaging waste thrown out by UK households.

How much plastic packaging waste is recycled?

While plastic packaging waste generation in the UK has grown in the past decade, the recycling rate of plastic packaging in the country has mostly stagnated in recent years. In 2021, it stood at 44.2 percent. An average of 21.5 kilograms of plastics packaging were collected for recycling per household that year, with plastic bottles accounting for the largest share.

The battle against single-use plastics in the UK

Eight out of 10 British adults supported banning single-use plastics as soon as possible, according to a 2021 survey. In 2015, the UK government introduced a fee for single-use plastic bags in larger shops in England, in an effort to reduce plastic pollution. Since then, several additional measures have been put in place. The latest will come into force in October 2023, with the government prohibiting the sale of some single-use plastic products such as plates, bowls, trays, or cutlery in England. However, with the average UK household throwing away over 3,400 items of plastic packaging annually, the issue is far from being solved.