Mixed plastics to be collected kerbside?
Most plastic food containers currently go to landfill
A wider range of plastics could soon be collected by local authorities in a bid to boost recycling rates.
Yogurt pots and margarine tubs are among the items that could be collected after a report by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap) said recycling them was now "technically and economically viable".
At the moment, most councils only collect plastic bottles and an estimated one million tonnes of non-bottle plastics go to landfill every year.
Wrap will now launch a £2 million capital grant competition to help build the capacity for recycling more plastics packaging.
Marcus Gover, director of market development at Wrap, said the grant aims to boost recycling capacity by at least 40,000 tonnes per year by 2011.
"Plastic packaging has a value as a secondary material and it does not make economic or environmental sense to dispose of it in landfill," he explained.
"Householders increasingly want it to be recycled in the same way as other packaging materials such as glass, plastic bottles and cans."
An estimated one million tonnes of non-bottle plastics go to landfill every year
This latest news coincides with Recycle Week, which runs from 22nd to 28th June.
The theme for this year's event – which is run by Recycle Now – is "Let's Waste Less", which encourages households to cut back on the amount they throw away.
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