Generation of plastic packaging waste in the UK 2012-2023

Approximately 2.1 million metric tons of plastic packaging waste were generated in the United Kingdom in 2023, a slight increase from the previous year. 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 2023, it stood at 52.5 percent. An average of 21.5 kilograms of plastics packaging were collected for recycling per household in 2021, with plastic bottles accounting for the largest share. The battle against single-use plastics in the UKEight out of 10 British adults supported banning single-use plastics as soon as possible, according to a 2024 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.

2023年，英国共产生了约210万吨塑料包装废弃物，较上一年略有上升。零食袋、包装袋以及食品和蔬菜包装是英国家庭丢弃的最常见塑料包装废弃物类型。塑料包装废弃物的回收率如何？尽管过去十年英国塑料包装废弃物的产生量有所增长，但该国塑料包装的回收率在近年来的大部分时间里均处于停滞状态。2023年，回收率达到了52.5%。2021年，平均每户家庭收集了21.5公斤的塑料包装用于回收，其中塑料瓶占据了最大比例。在英国开展反对一次性塑料的战斗中，根据2024年的调查，十之八九的英国成年人支持尽快禁止使用一次性塑料。2015年，英国政府在英格兰的大型商店中引入了对一次性塑料袋的收费，旨在减少塑料污染。自那时起，已实施了多项额外措施。最新的措施将于2023年10月生效，政府将禁止在英格兰销售某些一次性塑料产品，如盘子、碗、托盘或餐具。然而，由于英国平均每户家庭每年丢弃超过3400件塑料包装，该问题远未得到解决。