Councils in England could face annual costs of up to £301 million ($406m) from collecting and managing household plastics film, according to research commissioned by the Local Government Association.
The study by recycling compliance scheme Valpak was carried out while councils were preparing for mandatory collections of plastics film and bags from March 2027.
The deadline has since been moved to 2030. However, councils remain at different stages of preparation, with some already collecting flexible plastics and others having contracts or plans in place.
Valpak estimates that around 770,000 tonnes of film are placed on the market annually in England. Of this, around 392,000t enters household waste streams.
Collection arrangements
Councils currently collect around 15,000t of household film for recycling each year. Under a nationwide rollout, this was estimated to initially increase to around 96,000t annually.
The research examined collection arrangements, sorting and reprocessing capacity and available end-markets, as well as the expected volume of material.
It found that existing UK reprocessing capacity would not have been sufficient to handle the expected increase in tonnage under the original 2027 timetable.
Around 145,000t of film sorting capacity and 139,000t of reprocessing capacity currently exists in the UK. Some of this capacity is also used for commercial film and rigid plastics.
Steve Gough, chief executive of Valpak, said: “Whatever the timetable, local authorities need clear evidence to understand what flexible plastics collections could mean for their services. This is a challenging waste stream, and the picture will vary considerably between councils.
“Understanding likely volumes, collection systems, available capacity and end-markets will help authorities plan and assess the implications for their own services.”
Household plastics
Valpak estimates that collecting and managing household plastics film across England could cost between £82m ($11m) and £301m ($406m) a year. This equates to around £3 ($4) to £12 ($16) per household.
The cost to individual authorities will depend on factors including their existing collection systems, whether film is collected loose or in bags, sorting arrangements and available treatment routes.
The research estimates that 14 per cent of film in household waste streams is non-packaging material.
Unlike packaging, the costs associated with this material will not be covered by Extended Producer Responsibility payments.
