New research by Valpak by Reconomy, commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA), has given local authorities detailed evidence on the volumes, costs and practical challenges associated with household flexible plastics collections. It also highlights the need for modelling to help local authorities understand their own material flows, likely costs and the implications of changes to collection and recycling systems.
The research, which was published in August, was carried out while councils in England were preparing for mandatory collections of plastic film and bags from March 2027. It examined both the quantity of material, and the readiness of the system to handle it, including collection arrangements, sorting and reprocessing capacity, and available end markets.
Findings showed that current UK reprocessing capacity would not have been sufficient to handle the anticipated step-change in tonnage under the original timetable. Around 145,000 tonnes of film sorting capacity and 139,000 tonnes of reprocessing capacity currently exists in the UK, with some of that capacity used for commercial film and rigid plastics, meaning that more than half of current film recycling is exported.
Valpak
The deadline for mandatory collections has since been moved to 2030, but councils remain at varying stages of preparation. Different collection systems, contracts, infrastructure and local circumstances mean that individual councils may face very different costs and practical considerations. However, understanding how much material they are likely to handle, how it could be collected and sorted, what outlets are available and what the service could cost remain important, regardless of the revised rollout date.
The study drew on Valpak’s packaging data, alongside information from FlexCollect, WRAP, councils and industry stakeholders. It estimates that around 770,000 tonnes of film is placed on the market annually in England, with 392,000 tonnes entering household waste streams. Councils in England currently collect only around 15,000 tonnes of household film for recycling. Under nationwide rollout, this was estimated to rise initially to around 96,000 tonnes a year.
Valpak
Valpak estimated England-wide costs for collecting and managing household plastic film at between £82 million and £301 million a year – equivalent to around £3 to £12 per household. An estimated 14% of film in household waste streams is non-packaging material. Unlike packaging, the costs associated with this material will not be covered by packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) payments.
The cost to an individual authority will depend on factors including the existing collection system, whether film will be collected loose or in bags, sorting arrangements and available treatment routes. 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.
The full report, Rolling out plastic film collections to all households in England, is available from Valpak and an executive summary is available on the LGA website
