Ecosurety calls for urgent action to safeguard UK plastics recycling and accelerate long-term circular progress

We have published a new white paper, in partnership with RECOUP, that reveals that the UK is at a critical turning point for plastic packaging recycling.

Current operational reprocessing capacity only covers around 23% of what is needed to recycle all plastic packaging placed on the market.

Despite this challenge, the white paper outlines a series of practical, achievable and high-impact actions that could not only stabilise the sector but also unlock significant economic, environmental and circularity benefits for the UK.

Our white paper – ‘UK plastic packaging recycling infrastructure: Recommendations for circularity’ - provides the most comprehensive evidence base to date on the state of UK plastics reprocessing, including input from industry, analysis of UK and global policy, and modelling out to 2030.

A pivotal moment - but a huge opportunity

The research confirms that without intervention, the UK risks losing the majority of its remaining plastic reprocessing infrastructure by 2030. Over 200,000 tonnes of capacity has already been lost since 2024 due to volatile markets, policy uncertainty and high operational costs.

Yet the paper is fundamentally optimistic. If the right steps are taken now, the UK can build a resilient recycling system that supports domestic jobs, reduces reliance on exports, strengthens supply chains and accelerates progress towards a circular economy.

Recommendations: Four areas for immediate and long‑term action

The white paper sets out four priority areas for action.

First, strengthening material verification and transparency is essential to improve feedstock quality and trust in the system. Raising sorting standards, tightening recycled content verification and accelerating food grade materials approvals would help create a more reliable and accountable supply chain, supported by PRN system transparency and enforcement.

Second, the UK must create stronger and more consistent demand for recycled content. Potential recommendations include: increasing the Plastic Packaging Tax, aligning thresholds with the EU, incentivising the use of UK-produced recycled content and embedding recycled content requirements into public procurement.

Third, investment and innovation need greater policy support. Recognising reprocessing as Critical National Infrastructure and integrating it into the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy would unlock new funding routes. Dedicated national programmes for recycling innovation, infrastructure and technology scale‑up would enable the sector to grow at the pace required.