UK recycling plans face capacity challenges amid new plastic collection proposals

Conwy County Borough Council has proposed a new Waste and Resource Strategy for 2026-31, which includes potential changes to household recycling containers and black bins. The council aims to increase recycling rates beyond 70 per cent by introducing the collection of flexible plastics at the kerbside by 2027. A review of residual capacity is also planned, as the council identified that 48 per cent of material currently placed in non-recyclable bins could potentially be recycled through existing services.

On a broader scale, an analysis by Valpak suggests the UK faces significant capacity challenges regarding flexible plastic collections. The report indicates that while England's Simpler Recycling reforms for mandatory flexible collections have been delayed until 2030, devolved authorities in Wales and Scotland intend to proceed with mandatory requirements starting next year.

Valpak's research, commissioned by the Local Government Association, highlights a potential gap between collection volumes and reprocessing capacity. It estimates that the annual cost for collecting and managing household flexible plastics in England could range from £82 million to £301 million. There are also concerns that existing processing infrastructure may prioritize commercial waste streams over household collections.