Mondelēz International, FMCG industry and retail leaders join forces to boost flexible plastic recycling in UK

Five of the UK’s largest branded manufacturers: Mars UK, Mondelēz International, Nestlé, PepsiCo and Unilever, have collaborated to form a £1 million fund to help make flexible plastic recycling economically viable for recyclers and easier for consumers. The Flexible Plastic Fund (FPF) is a first for the UK.

In collaboration with manufacturers, retailers and recyclers, the Fund intends to improve flexible plastic recycling and reduce plastic pollution by giving the material a stable value. This will in turn increase the supply of recycled plastic enabling industry to become more circular and meet the forthcoming UK plastic packaging tax obligations. This will motivate investment in much needed jobs and infrastructure to make flexible plastic recycling a financially sustainable system in the UK.

Retailers who signed up to support the initiative  host flexible plastic collection points in selected stores across the UK. As a result, recycling this material will become increasingly accessible to consumers, as they will be able to recycle all types of flexible plastic packaging with participating retailers.

The Fund will guarantee a minimum value of £150 per tonne of recycled product to incentivise recyclers to process flexible plastic. Recyclers will only be paid if the plastic is definitely recycled.

The long-term ambition of the Fund is to drive progress towards creating a circular, UK based flexible plastic recycling market that allows flexible plastic recycling via household collections. Through its graded payment hierarchy, the Flexible Plastic Fund is actively incentivising the development of a circular model of production where flexible plastic packaging can be recycled into plastic packaging, including food-grade, again and again.

 

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