The annual Big Plastic Count is a nationwide survey which calls on UK households to report their plastic consumption and help get answers on the state of plastic waste.
The 2024 survey results are in and it’s clear that recycling isn’t the answer to the plastic problem.
The UK recycling rate of plastic is just 17%, while households throw away an estimated 1.7 billion pieces of plastic a week. So, what happens to it all?
Exploring The UK Recycling Rate Of Plastic & Tips To Get Started
1. What Is The Big Plastic Count?
The Big Plastic Count is an annual investigation into plastic waste generated by UK households. The project was started in 2017 by Everyday Plastic founder Daniel Webb who, with the help of a scientific researcher, created a unique methodology for calculating his plastic footprint over one year.
After the methodology’s success, Everyday Plastic and Greenpeace collaborated to launch the Big Plastic Count, a nationwide survey with schools, households and communities taking part.
Each year, the survey calls on citizen scientists to count their plastic for one week and submit their data to help paint a bigger picture of the UK’s recycling statistics. The aim is to gather evidence and pressure world leaders to take action on the harmful impact of plastic pollution.
In 2024, one in every 300 people across the UK took part and the results are clear: the UK plastic recycling rate isn’t enough to keep up with the amount of plastic produced and used.
Results showed UK households are throwing away 1.7 billion pieces of plastic a week—amounting to 90 billion pieces a year—with the UK generating more plastic per person globally than any other country, except the USA.
So, where does it all go?
According to the Big Plastic Count, 58% of plastic is incinerated as it’s much cheaper than sending it to landfill (11% still ends up there). 14% of it is exported to developing countries with worse recycling infrastructure.
As for what percentage of recycling actually gets recycled in the UK?
A measly 17%. As they say, “We can’t recycle our way out of this mess.”
2. Why Is More And More Plastic Getting Incinerated?
Over half of the UK’s plastic waste is incinerated (58%) in 2024 compared to 46% in 2022. This has already increased by 12% since 2022 and with 12 new waste incinerators under construction, these figures will only get hotter.
It’s the cheapest form of waste disposal, after all.
Some waste management companies have gone as far as claiming that burning waste is a source of “renewable energy” and will help the country meet its net zero goals by 2050.
Professor Ian Boyd, chief scientific adviser at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) from 2012-19, disagrees. He points out that incineration should only ever be used on residual waste and the current waste management programme “represents policy failure.”
The anti-incineration pressure group, United Kingdom Without Incineration Network has also found that electricity generated from burning waste has a higher carbon footprint than natural gas.
CO2 aside, burning plastic releases toxic gases which pollute the air we breathe and damage our health. Unearthed by Greenpeace reports that incinerators are three times more likely to be built in deprived neighbourhoods, disproportionately affecting people of colour.
3. Why Isn’t More Plastic Recycled?
According to Greenpeace, less than 10% of everyday plastic is recycled.
Those meager plastic recycling numbers in the UK may come as a surprise if your area has a recycling collection or ‘bin day’. What are all the different coloured bins for if it’s not actually getting recycled?
Even if you’re diligent about putting it in the recycling bin, over half a million tonnes of recycling is rejected at the point of sorting due to contamination with non-recyclables.
The Local Government Association blames packaging manufacturers for still producing non-recyclables and causing confusion around what can and can’t be recycled. Some of the hardest everyday plastics to recycle for household waste collectors include:
- Plastic bags
- Cling film and bubble wrap
- Toilet roll wrapping
- Snack packets (e.g. crisps and biscuits)
- Pouches (e.g. pet food pouches)
- Multi-pack wrapping
- Most food packaging (e.g. salad, bread, pasta, rice, cheese, fruit bags etc)
- Pill packets
With households generating 90 billion pieces of plastic waste a year, the UK’s recycling systems can’t cope and a lot of plastic types are too complicated to recycle.
For the percentage that does end up in the recycling plant, recycled plastics degrade quickly so they can only be re-processed once or twice before they go the same way as the rest: landfilled, exported or incinerated.
The recycling process isn’t so green either. A study has found that one UK recycling plant produces three million pounds of microplastics a year, even with a filtration system in place.
4. How Can We Fix The Single Use Plastic Problem?
Other than understanding what can and can’t be recycled, tackling the single-use plastic problem isn’t the responsibility of UK households. It’s up to governments to make changes at a policy level and big brands to play their part.
Since 81% of everyday plastics are related to food, supermarkets and other big players need to be held accountable for the amount of plastic waste being created. Evidence from the Big Plastic Count shows that the biggest issue isn’t the plastic waste management but rather the amount of plastic produced from the get-go.
The investigation has been instrumental in influencing the UN’s 2023 Global Oceans Treaty, which aims to protect at least 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030. Now, they hope to do the same with the Global Plastics Treaty, a legally binding target that cuts plastic production by at least 75% by 2040.
Households can only do so much. Real, effective change comes at a policy level. You can put pressure on the government to back a strong Global Plastics Treaty by emailing your MP.
You can also help support the evidence on plastic waste by taking part in the annual Big Plastic Count. Subscribe to their email list so you don’t miss it.
It’s clear that recycling isn’t enough to tackle plastic waste, which is why we need to approach waste disposal using the 5Rs of zero waste instead—refuse what you can, reduce what you can’t, reuse more, rot whatever’s organic, and finally, recycle what’s left.
In practice, this can look like shopping for loose veg at the supermarket, making the most of the UK’s zero waste shops and choosing products with plastic-free packaging. Try to reuse your plastic containers and bags and make the most of refill schemes to help improve the UK recycling rate as much as possible.
Check whether your favourite brands offer take-back schemes or ways to help you recycle your packaging like partnerships with TerraCycle or high street drop-off points.
Closing Thoughts On Plastic Recycling Statistics UK
The Big Plastic Count reveals the UK’s staggering plastic waste problem every year—one that’s only getting worse—with recycling quite simply being an insufficient solution to our ever-growing plastic problems.
The only way to make tangible change is to cut plastic production at the source and it’s time for companies and the government to make that happen.
Taking action as an individual to change these UK waste statistics can feel like a tiny drop in a plastic tide but you can make a difference. Share these facts about recycling in the UK, write to your MP and support the Big Plastic Count’s mission. Together we can put pressure on world leaders to stop this plastic catastrophe.
