Two-thirds of the plastics used to package foods from fruit and vegetables to microwave meals go to landfill or are incinerated, town hall chiefs have said.

Around 525,000 tons of plastic pots, tubs and trays are collected from UK households each year, but just 169,145 tons can actually be recycled, analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA) shows.

The LGA says councils are doing everything they can to tackle plastic waste, with 99% of local authorities collecting plastic bottles for recycling and 77% picking up pots, tubs and trays.

But packaging for food can be made from a variety of plastic molecules called polymers, which need to be separated out to remove low-grade and non-recyclable types of plastic such as polystyrene.

Some packaging uses different plastics such as the body and lid of a yogurt pot, while fruit and vegetables punnets are made from three types of polymer, and microwave meals are cased in black plastic which cannot be easily sorted.

The analysis come after Sky News' documentary, Dirty Business, revealed it was more lucrative to export British plastic recycling than process it in the UK.

Town hall chiefs want manufacturers to stop using the mixture of plastics for food packaging to help increase recycling and are urging the government to consider a ban on low-grade plastics.

Judith Blake, LGA environment spokeswoman, said: "It's time for manufacturers to stop letting a smorgasboard of unrecyclable and damaging plastic flow into our environment.

"We've been calling for producers of unrecyclable material to develop a plan to stop this from entering the environment for years.

"That needs to happen urgently, but the government should now consider banning low-grade plastics, particularly those for single use, in order to increase recycling."

A spokeswoman from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: "Our recycling rates are rising, less waste is now sent to landfill and separate food waste collections are increasing.

"However, there is much more to do. That's why we are we are working with industry to improve the nation's recycling rates further, including by making more products recyclable."

1. Margarine and ice cream tubs use polypropylene, which is extremely difficult to recycle, but they could be made with the plastic used for water bottles which can be easily recycled.

2. Microwave meal and meat packaging often uses black plastic that cannot be easily scanned and sorted, but changing the colour of these trays could lead to a rise in recycling.

3. Fruit and vegetable punnets are made of three polymers, so councils are calling for a simpler design using recyclable materials.

4. Yogurt pots use a mixture of two polymers, polypropylene and polystyrene, which are difficult to recycle but some companies now use the same material as used for plastic bottles, making them easily recyclable.

5. Bakery goods trays use two hard-to-recycle polymers, but more recyclable materials are available to store baked goods.

:: Sky's Ocean Rescue campaign encourages people to reduce their single-use plastics. You can find out more about the campaign and how to get involved at www.skyoceanrescue.com </s> Only a third of the plastic in packaging pots and trays for food bought by households can be recycled, local authorities have warned.

Town hall chiefs urged manufacturers to scrap the “smorgasbord” of plastics used to package foods from fruit and vegetables to yogurts, margarine and microwave meals to help cut waste and increase recycling.

Analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA) suggests 525,000 tonnes of plastic pots, tubs and trays are used by households a year.

But just 169,145 tonnes can be recycled, with two-thirds heading for landfill or incineration.

The LGA said councils had done all they can to tackle plastic waste, with 99% of local authorities collecting plastic bottles for recycling and 77% picking up pots, tubs and trays.

But packaging for food can be made from a variety of polymers, the molecules which make up plastic, which need to be separated out to remove low-grade and non-recyclable types of plastic such as polystyrene. </s> LONDON - Most of the plastic food containers that householders wash out after use and put in the recycling bin cannot actually be recycled, it has emerged. The mixture of plastics used in many yoghurt pots, ready meal trays and other containers limits the ability of councils to recycle them. The Local Government Association says that only a third can be recycled. The rest get sent to landfill.

Up to 80% of packaging could be made more recyclable, the industry said.

The British Plastics Federation said companies are working to use more recyclable containers and called for a financial incentive for manufacturers to use more recyclable plastics.

According to the LGA analysis, around 525,000 tonnes of plastic pots, tubs and trays are used by households in the UK every year, but only 169,000 tonnes of this waste is capable of being recycled.

It blames producers for using a mix of polymers, some of them poor quality.

The LGA, which represents councils in England and Wales, says the government should consider a ban on low-grade plastics.

The LGA says simple tweaks could make a massive difference, highlighting the case of microwave meals which are often supplied in black plastic material.

Black is the only colour that can’t be easily scanned by recycling machines, meaning that process becomes unnecessarily complicated.

Changing the colour of these items would significantly increase the amount that could be used again.

“It’s almost criminal to think that some of the plastics being used are difficult to recycle, and black plastic is almost impossible to recycle,” Cllr Peter Fleming from the LGA told BBC News.

“The only reason we have black plastic being used by manufacturers is that it makes the food look good.”

When it comes to punnets of fruit and vegetables many are made from up to three different types of plastic, including polystyrene, which can’t be recycled. </s> Only a third of the plastic in packaging pots and trays for food bought by households can be recycled, local authorities have warned.

Town hall chiefs urged manufacturers to scrap the “smorgasbord” of plastics used to package foods from fruit and vegetables to yogurts, margarine and microwave meals to help cut waste and increase recycling.

Analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA) suggests 525,000 tonnes of plastic pots, tubs and trays are used by households a year.

But just 169,145 tonnes can be recycled, with two-thirds heading for landfill or incineration.

The LGA said councils had done all they can to tackle plastic waste, with 99% of local authorities collecting plastic bottles for recycling and 77% picking up pots, tubs and trays.

But packaging for food can be made from a variety of polymers, the molecules which make up plastic, which need to be separated out to remove low-grade and non-recyclable types of plastic such as polystyrene.

Some packaging uses different plastics such as the body and lid of a yogurt pot, while fruit and vegetables punnets are made from three types of polymer, and microwave meals are cased in black plastic which cannot be easily sorted.

Manufacturers should work with councils and develop a plan to stop unrecyclable plastic being used, the Government should consider a ban on low-grade plastics and producers should contribute to the cost of collecting or disposing of the products, the LGA urged.

Judith Blake, LGA environment spokeswoman, said: “It’s time for manufacturers to stop letting a smorgasboard of unrecyclable and damaging plastic flow into our environment.

“We’ve been calling for producers of unrecyclable material to develop a plan to stop this from entering the environment for years.

“That needs to happen urgently, but the Government should now consider banning low-grade plastics, particularly those for single use, in order to increase recycling.

“If manufacturers don’t want to get serious about producing material which can be recycled and protecting our environment, then they should at least contribute towards the cost that local taxpayers have to pay to clear it up.”

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokeswoman said: “Our recycling rates are rising, less waste is now sent to landfill and separate food waste collections are increasing.

“However, there is much more to do. That’s why we are we are working with industry to improve the nation’s recycling rates further, including by making more products recyclable.”

The LGA outlined five examples of everyday packaging that uses plastic that is difficult to deal with:

– 1. Margarine and ice cream tubs use polypropylene, which is extremely difficult to recycle, but they could be made with the plastic used for water bottles which can be easily recycled.

– 2. Microwave meal and meat packaging often uses black plastic that cannot be easily scanned and sorted, but changing the colour of these trays could lead to an increase in recycling.

– 3. Fruit and vegetable punnets use three polymers in their construction, so councils are calling for a simpler design using recyclable materials.

– 4. Yogurt pots use a mixture of two polymers, polypropylene and polystyrene, which are difficult to recycle but some companies now use the same material as used for plastic bottles, making them easily recyclable.

– 5. Bakery goods trays use two hard-to-recycle polymers, but more recyclable materials are available to store baked goods. </s> Two-thirds of plastic pots, tubs and trays recycled by families are burnt or go to landfill.

Town halls admitted last night that only a third of the 525,000 tons they collect from households can actually be reused. The black plastic in ready-meal packs is hard to process, according to the Local Government Association.

It said margarine tubs and yoghurt pots made from polypropylene were extremely difficult to recycle. And it cited major problems with fruit and vegetable punnets and bakery goods trays.

The Daily Mail, which campaigns against plastic pollution, today reveals that waste from British families ended up in a dump in Poland that caught fire causing a major pollution scandal.

The tip in Zgierz is subject to an investigation by prosecutors amid claims that UK rubbish is being exported cheaply on the pretext of being recycled when it is either dumped in landfill or burnt.

The LGA surveyed councils to determine their recycling rates for rigid plastic pots, tubs and trays. These make up almost half of household plastic waste, the rest mainly being plastic bottles.

The resulting analysis, which is published today, shows that local authorities are recycling only 169,145 tons out of the 525,0000-ton annual total.

It claimed councils had done all they could to tackle plastic waste, with 99 per cent of them collecting plastic bottles for recycling and 77 per cent picking up pots, tubs and trays. Judith Blake of the LGA said: ‘It’s time for manufacturers to stop letting a smorgasbord of unrecyclable and damaging plastic flow into our environment.

‘We’ve been calling for producers of unrecyclable material to develop a plan to stop this from entering the environment for years. That needs to happen urgently, but the Government should now consider banning low-grade plastics, particularly those for single use, in order to increase recycling.’

Britain is on the verge of burning more waste than it recycles for the first time, with some councils sending more than 80 per cent of rubbish for incineration.

An international league table last year revealed that England has one of the worst recycling rates in the developed world, coming 18th in a comparison of nations on recycling efficiency. The proportion of waste incinerated by English councils has risen fourfold in a decade.

The LGA’s analysis was challenged by the Recycling Association and waste reduction charity WRAP.

The two groups said polypropylene was easy to recycle, with a strong market for the material paying £200 a ton. They also said fruit and vegetable punnets were mostly made from a plastic used in water bottles and easily recycled. The recycling specialists also challenged the claim that bakery goods trays were a problem.

However, they supported the LGA’s concerns over polystyrene and black plastic, which is hard to recycle because lasers cannot pick it out from other rubbish.

The LGA insisted 60 per cent of tubs were hard to recycle, as was the case with ‘many’ fruit and vegetable punnets.

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman said: ‘Our recycling rates are rising, less waste is now sent to landfill and separate food waste collections are increasing. However, there is much more to do.

‘That’s why we are we are working with industry to improve the nation’s recycling rates further, including by making more products recyclable.’

Stephen Hunt, of the British Plastics Federation, said: ‘The LGA may be surprised to learn how closely our aims and objectives align to theirs and we would be delighted to work more closely with local authorities to discuss waste management issues.

‘Whilst the volume of plastics packaging that is recycled, including pots, tubs and trays continues to increase year on year, more can clearly be done. We have long been calling for standardised collection schemes.’ </s> Two-thirds of plastic in packaging pots and trays for food bought by households cannot be recycled, local authorities have admitted.

Town hall chiefs urged manufacturers to scrap varying types of package foods from fruit and vegetables to yogurts, margarine and microwave meals to help cut waste and increase recycling.

Analysis by the Local Government Association suggests 525,000 tonnes of plastic pots, tubs and trays are used by households a year.

But just 169,145 tonnes can be recycled, with two-thirds heading for landfill or incineration.

Councils said they had done all they can to tackle plastic waste, with 99 per cent of local authorities collecting plastic bottles for recycling and 77 per cent picking up pots, tubs and trays. </s> Consumers are being warned that only a third of the plastic in packaging pots and trays for food bought by households can be recycled .

It is a startling figure from the Local Government Association who have been analysing the types of plastics that are used to package foods from fruit and vegetables to yogurts, margarine and microwave meals.

As a result, they are urging manufacturers to scrap the "smorgasbord" of plastics used to help cut waste and increase recycling.

Their figures suggests 525,000 tonnes of plastic pots, tubs and trays are used by households a year, but just 169,145 tonnes can be recycled, with two-thirds heading for landfill or incineration.

The LGA said councils had done all they can to tackle plastic waste, with 99% of local authorities collecting plastic bottles for recycling and 77% picking up pots, tubs and trays.

But packaging for food can be made from a variety of polymers, the molecules which make up plastic, which need to be separated out to remove low-grade and non-recyclable types of plastic such as polystyrene.

Some packaging uses different plastics such as the body and lid of a yogurt pot, while fruit and vegetables punnets are made from three types of polymer, and microwave meals are cased in black plastic which cannot be easily sorted.

Manufacturers should work with councils and develop a plan to stop unrecyclable plastic being used, the Government should consider a ban on low-grade plastics and producers should contribute to the cost of collecting or disposing of the products, the LGA urged.

The plastics that are difficult to deal with The LGA outlined five examples of everyday packaging that uses plastic that is difficult to deal with:

1. Margarine and ice cream tubs use polypropylene, which is extremely difficult to recycle, but they could be made with the plastic used for water bottles which can be easily recycled. 2. Microwave meal and meat packaging often uses black plastic that cannot be easily scanned and sorted, but changing the colour of these trays could lead to an increase in recycling. 3. Fruit and vegetable punnets use three polymers in their construction, so councils are calling for a simpler design using recyclable materials.

 4. Yogurt pots use a mixture of two polymers, polypropylene and polystyrene, which are difficult to recycle but some companies now use the same material as used for plastic bottles, making them easily recyclable.

 5. Bakery goods trays use two hard-to-recycle polymers, but more recyclable materials are available to store baked goods.

Judith Blake, LGA environment spokeswoman, said: "It's time for manufacturers to stop letting a smorgasboard of unrecyclable and damaging plastic flow into our environment.

"We've been calling for producers of unrecyclable material to develop a plan to stop this from entering the environment for years.

"That needs to happen urgently, but the Government should now consider banning low-grade plastics, particularly those for single use, in order to increase recycling.

"If manufacturers don't want to get serious about producing material which can be recycled and protecting our environment, then they should at least contribute towards the cost that local taxpayers have to pay to clear it up."

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokeswoman said: "Our recycling rates are rising, less waste is now sent to landfill and separate food waste collections are increasing.

"However, there is much more to do. That's why we are we are working with industry to improve the nation's recycling rates further, including by making more products recyclable."

Wales, however, is pretty good at recycling.

As a country we were named the second best household waste recycler in the world at the end of 2017.

Cardiff is currently one of the best cities for recycling in the UK with a recycling and composting rate of 60 per cent. But it still needs to improve - the council will need to recycle a further 20,000 tonnes of the city's waste by 2025 to meet Welsh Government's 70% target.

We are all still making mistakes, partly because we're trying to recycle the wrong things. </s> Most of the plastic food trays that householders carefully wash out after use and put in the recycling bin cannot actually be recycled, it has emerged.

The mixture of plastics used in many yogurt pots, ready meal trays and other containers limits the ability of councils to recycle them.

The Local Government Association says that only a third can be reused. The rest get sent to landfill.

It blames producers for using a mix of polymers, some of them poor quality.

The LGA says the government should consider a ban on low-grade plastics.

According to the LGA analysis, around 525,000 tonnes of plastic pots, tubs and trays are used by households in the UK every year, but only 169,000 tonnes of this waste is capable of being recycled.
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The LGA says that some simple tweaks could make a massive difference to this situation,

It points to microwave meals which are often supplied in black plastic material.

However, black is the only colour that can't be easily scanned by recycling machines, meaning that process becomes unnecessarily complicated.

Changing the colour of these items would significantly increase the amount that could be used again.

"It's almost criminal to think that some of the plastics being used are difficult to recycle, and black plastic is almost impossible to recycle," Cllr Peter Fleming from the LGA told BBC News.

"The only reason we have black plastic being used by manufacturers is that it makes the food look good."

When it comes to punnets of fruit and vegetables many are made from up to three different types of plastic, including polystyrene, which can't be recycled.
• Margarine and ice cream tubs: Often contain the polymer polypropylene which is very difficult to recycle. An alternative approach would be to make them from the same plastic as water bottles which is easily re-used.
• Microwave and meat packaging: The materials can be recycled but need to be sorted via an optical scanner first. However, as they are predominantly black this makes the process difficult. A simple change of colour could lead to a real increase in recycling.
• Fruit and vegetable punnets: A complicated construction often sees three different polymers used. Simpler designs and more use of recyclable materials could make a big difference.
• Yoghurt pots: Often made from a mixture of polypropylene and polystyrene, which are difficult to recycle. An alternative is to use polyethylene terephthalate, which is also used in plastic bottles and can be easily recycled.
• Baked goods trays: The lining on these trays for cakes and baked goods is often made from difficult to recycle materials. Other options are available which could boost recycling numbers.

The LGA wants plastics manufacturers to work with councils to prevent materials that limit recycling entering the system in the first place. It is also calling for government to consider banning low-grade plastics, particularly those for single-use items.

"We need an industry-wide, collaborative approach where together we can reduce the amount of material having an impact on the environment," said Cllr Judith Blake, who is the LGA environment spokesperson.

"But if industry won't help us get there, then the government should step in to help councils ensure we can preserve our environment for generations to come."

As well as calling for a ban, the LGA is looking to the government to make plastics manufacturers pay for the costs of collecting and disposing of plastics that can't be recycled.

"Either they can make the change at the front end so their products are easier to recycle," said Cllr Fleming, "or they can start to help pay for the disposal."

The BBC contacted the British Plastics Federation which represents manufacturers for a comment but has yet to receive a response.

The LGA report comes hot on the heels of a study from the National Audit Office that suggests that half the packaging reported as recycled is actually being sent abroad to be processed. </s> The UK produced 11m tonnes of plastic waste in 2017, and recycled around two thirds of it. Or so it seemed. A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) shows that over half of the UK’s recyclable waste is sent overseas for recycling, but much of it is likely to end up in landfill or the ocean instead.

The recycling regime is a mess in the UK - but what’s stopping Britain from making all of its plastic waste recyclable and ensuring it is actually recycled?

Public engagement has played a big part in tackling plastic waste in the environment. Reaction to scenes in Blue Planet 2 where marine wildlife struggled with plastic in the ocean prompted government action. The recent ban on microbeads in cosmetics and the 5p charge for plastic bags are positive steps, but these gestures are just a start.

Supermarkets have promised in a “Plastic Pact” to eliminate avoidable packaging and ensure all of it can be reused, recycled or composted by 2025. One third of supermarket plastic cannot easily be recycled at present, and while the pact among retailers is only voluntary, its target is welcome. That said, just because a plastic is recyclable does not guarantee that it will be recycled. Local kerbside collections vary from place to place and many authorities only accept limited types.

There is a huge range of different types of plastic used in disposable products and packaging. One solution is to limit the types of plastic to a single standard which is easy to recycle. This might mean fewer coloured plastics. Black food trays are a particularly troublesome example as they contain pigments that make packaging harder to detect by sorting technology.

Mixed materials are those that have different types of material in the same product. For instance, a plastic bag with a foil lining or a disposable coffee cup made of paper with a plastic lining. These are especially difficult and expensive to separate. They are considered in many cases contaminated and worthless.

Designing packaging so that it’s easier to separate is vital. Some consultancies offer advice to companies on how to achieve this, for instance, by having outer layers that are removable by the consumer and using water-soluble glues. This design-for-disposal approach would mean that food-grade plastic streams – materials which are safe to use in direct contact with food – are easier to identify and separate, increasing their availability and making them worth more as a material to put back into the cycle.

The raw feedstocks for most plastics are fossil fuels, which are cheaper to use than recycled material. Plant-based feedstocks are a good lower-carbon alternative but are often in competition with crops used to produce energy or food and are not always as sustainable as they might appear. This is where government intervention can have a big impact. A levy on making new single-use plastic rather than using recycled material would create a level playing field and raise funds to subsidise the development of new, cleaner materials.

Could we just get rid of all plastic packaging? Sadly, no. Some of it is considered unavoidable. Plastic prolongs the life of produce. It provides a barrier to bacteria, a film to lock in protective gas and a convenient waterproof layer. It would be difficult to imagine buying products like raw fish without it.

But there are solutions – consumers can take their own reusable containers to shops, and retailers can use more recycled (and recyclable) materials. 2025 is a long way off when plastics are in food chains now. Eliminating single-use materials is possible but it’s going to involve us all in the solution.

Businesses are talking about the issue but the public could be forgiven for impatience over the lack of choice and commitment. They need to innovate. The government, meanwhile, has made some positive changes but these have been easy wins so far. They need to provide funding and legislation which supports alternatives to single-use plastics. Consumers also need to be prepared for a little inconvenience. Plastics are not a disposable commodity, they last hundreds of years in our environment and until now their true lifecycle cost has not been reflected in the price at the till.
England's Local Government Association reports that approximately two-thirds of plastic objects which reach recycling facilities cannot be recycled, due to the mix of polymers used by producers.