Despite the widespread awareness about sustainability, confusion around recycling persists among consumers in the United Kingdom (UK), further leading to undermined efforts in circular packaging. Aquapak's research shows that nearly 70 per cent of British consumers are unaware of the proper packaging to recycle.
As per the report drafted by Recycling Magazine, out of five people, only one person reads the recycling instructions behind the packaging and the demographic for this. People between the ages of 25 and 34, one out of three people, which constitutes 31 per cent, read the instructions, and when the age group reaches 65 and above, it drops to 17 per cent of the demographic reading it.
Regarding understanding the instruction provided, nearly 10 per cent of British consumers believe it to be easy to understand concerning the disposal process. However, 52 per cent of the population believe it is sometimes easy to understand. Merely 29 per cent of people think knowing how to recycle packaging effectively is easy.
Nearly 12 million tonnes of packaging is wasted, creating an enormous challenge for the UK government where the majority share is held by plastic, making it difficult to sort and recycle later. So, which packaging is suitable for packaging and recycling thereafter?
Aluminium packaging versus alternative materials
While choosing the right packaging material and later recycling it, understanding each material's key attributes is crucial. Aluminium, the third most abundant element on Earth, has become numerous beneficial for various sectors and one quality that makes it suitable is its recyclability. Moreover, it boasts high global recycling rates, often between 50 to 90 per cent, making it a reliable material for circular economy models.
Aluminium packaging recycling requires merely 5 per cent more energy than the raw material, posing multiple economic and environmental benefits without losing properties or quality. As per the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) report, the aluminium recycling process demands only 8.3 gigajoules of energy per tonne. In the same report, IAI further attested that recycling 1 tonne of aluminium saves nearly 9 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Other packaging, such as plastic, paper, and glass, does not provide the same benefits. We know that various types of plastic are available globally, and not all types are easily recyclable. Although plastic is widely used as a packaging option in multiple industries, is it sustainable?
Plastic packaging is durable since it helps to protect the major packaged content from extreme external conditions because long chains of molecules are bound together, making it highly destructible. However, it is believed that recycled plastic poses more harm and toxins than virgin plastic and is not endlessly recyclable; it can only be recycled a few times.
Recycling one tonne of plastic can save up to 5,8000 kWh of energy, but if compared with aluminium recycling, one tonne can save up to 14,000 kWh of energy, making it more sustainable. Global plastic recycling rates remain below 10 per cent, and contamination often reduces reuse effectiveness. While recycling plastic saves around 70 per cent of energy compared to virgin plastic, the end material is usually weaker and less versatile.
Compared to the above-discussed packaging solutions, paper is deemed less durable and can create waste during production. As already stated, the production process of paper packaging is poised to have enormous environmental effects. Nonetheless, recycled paper production requires 28 to 70 per cent less energy than virgin paper, reducing reliance on fossil-fuel-based resources. Apart from this, the recycling paper process results in a 20 to 50 per cent reduction in overall carbon dioxide emission.
Y-o-Y aluminium packaging recycling rate in the UK
In 2021, as reported by the Environment Agency, the UK had recycled a total of 156,000 tonnes of aluminium packaging, representing a 3 per cent growth from the previous year. The same in 2022 was recorded at 102,195 tonnes, which further added the carry of a total of 8,212 tonnes from the last, showing a downward movement.
However, in 2023, recycling rebounded to 162,357 tonnes of aluminium, growing by 59 per cent Y-o-Y, but again dropped in the subsequent year (2024) to 157,049 tonnes, down by 3.38 per cent Y-o-Y.
Governmental initiatives towards aluminium recycling
With the vision of eliminating packaging waste, the UK government introduced the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) initiative on January 1, 2025. The main intention behind this initiative is to shift the responsibility from the consumers to the producers by incentivising them to create proper guidance for the consumers.
Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is another government-led aluminium recycling initiative to be launched in 2027. The vision behind this initiative is for consumers to pay a small deposit on drink containers, which they are liable to receive back only upon returning the containers at the designated collection points.
Some other initiatives include Digital Product Passports, which aid in improving the traceability and recyclability of metal: improved Sorting Technologies are an innovation in sorting and separating, helping in enhancing aluminium recycling initiatives.
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