NLWA | Britain risks a crisp packet pile-up without urgent intervention

The North London Waste Authority (NLWA) has warned that the UK risks a “crisp packet pile-up” once mandatory kerbside collections of flexible plastics (such as crisp packets, bread bags, and bubble wrap) come into force in 2027. Current projections show that by 2030 only about 10% of the 1.7 million tonnes of flexible plastics placed on the market annually will be collected from households, highlighting a severe gap in recycling infrastructure. Without urgent investment and a reduction in the use of flexible plastics, the system could buckle, leading to stockpiling in warehouses or increased exports abroad. 

NLWA is calling for government and business action to redesign packaging, reduce volumes, and invest in domestic recycling capacity, warning that mandatory collections should not encourage producers to flood the market with more unsustainable materials. It also urged reforms to incentivise processing within the UK, including mandating higher recycled content in products and overhauling the current PRN system or Packaging Recovery Notes system (a UK mechanism designed to help meet recycling and packaging waste obligations under the Producer Responsibility regulations). 

Source: www.nlwa.gov.uk