Recycle Week 2018

Recycle Week 2018 takes place between 24^th and 30^th September and is an ‘opportunity to change people’s recycling behaviours.’

An initiative by WRAP, this year’s theme is ‘Recycling. We do. Because if matters.’ With a significant focus on plastics, understandable given the far-reaching ripples of the Blue Planet II programme earlier this year, Boxes and Packaging is keen to take the opportunity to remind its customers that a positive recycling approach can be applied across all packaging materials.

An interesting report from DEFRA released earlier this year reported an increase in household recycling rates from 0.65% to 45.2% in 2016. Impressive statistics given that this latest available data was before awareness levels were raised and campaigns launched to drive recycling awareness. It is hoped that these figures will benefit from a further significant improvement in the longer term.

The report also documents that 71.4% of UK packaging waste was either recycled or recovered meaning that EU targets of 60% in this particular sector were exceeded.

“Clearly we champion the recyclability of corrugated as a packaging material and are keen to continue our education in the wide range of sectors, industries and markets that corrugated can support” said Gavin Richardson CEO Boxes and Packaging. “That said, we are also keen to highlight to consumers who receive corrugated packaging as part of ecommerce options that recycling this through domestic recycling collection options is so important. This helps to ensure that corrugated materials is recycled through appropriate channels wherever possible.”

On average, corrugated boxes made in the UK already contain 76% recycled material. Many boxes are made from 100% recycled material and it is these sort of statistics that underpin the messages Boxes and Packaging communicates to its customers, suppliers and end users.

Gavin concluded; “Education and awareness remains critical in reaching recycling targets in both domestic and commercial applications across the UK and we are proud to support initiatives such as recycle week.”