Peterborough charity celebrates 30 years of tackling plastic waste

Originally set up as a three-year project, a city-based national charity is celebrating 30 years of promoting best practice, education and training in plastics recycling.
Campaigning - not-for-profit plastics recycling organisation RECOUP is celebrating 30 years in action. EMN-200707-145358001Campaigning - not-for-profit plastics recycling organisation RECOUP is celebrating 30 years in action. EMN-200707-145358001
Campaigning - not-for-profit plastics recycling organisation RECOUP is celebrating 30 years in action. EMN-200707-145358001

RECOUP, based at the Metro Centre was set up in 1990 with the primary aim of kick-starting the recycling of PET plastic bottles in the UK.

Stuart Foster, chief executive of RECOUP, said: “No one could have predicted the pressure and attention placed on plastics in recent years fuelled by the ‘Blue Planet’ effect and certainly when RECOUP was launched this was not forecasted to be part of our future working space.

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Politicians, consumers, media, and businesses are all demanding change and RECOUP is central to delivering that change through increased recycling and more efficient use of plastic resources.

A highlight - RECOUP have worked with Jimmy's Farm to promote plastic recycling. Their mascot pictured with farmer and TV presenter Jimmy Doherty himself. EMN-200707-145410001A highlight - RECOUP have worked with Jimmy's Farm to promote plastic recycling. Their mascot pictured with farmer and TV presenter Jimmy Doherty himself. EMN-200707-145410001
A highlight - RECOUP have worked with Jimmy's Farm to promote plastic recycling. Their mascot pictured with farmer and TV presenter Jimmy Doherty himself. EMN-200707-145410001

“Clearly, it cannot be right to allow plastics to leak into the environment, but neither is it acceptable to lose the opportunity to use plastic where it is the most appropriate and cost-effective material for so many applications.

”We look forward to working with the support of our members to encourage and help foster the right conditions to allow for a viable and resilient system plastics recycling system across the UK.”

Initially called Operation RECOUP, the non-profit making venture brought together major UK bottle blowers, machinery and material producers to drive forward innovation in plastic bottle recycling.

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Alan Davey, the then Technical Environmental Manager at LinPac Plastics said at its launch, “we feel that no such vehicle currently exists”.

Looking back, Mr Davey says: “It is strange to think that something we thought would only be needed for three years has turned out to be even more relevant today than it was in 1990.

“The leadership at RECOUP has taken the organisation to new levels of ambition; bringing recyclability by design to the core of any sustainability programme, driving collaboration across the value chain, championing the need for citizen education, alongside industry best practice and knowledge transference.”

RECOUP has adapted, using its wealth of knowledge to drive forward on ambitious government targets, as well as understanding industry issues.

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In 1994 RECOUP’s first Local Authority UK Household Collection Survey reported that 3,150 tonnes of plastic bottles were being collected. At this point there were only eight household bottle collection schemes.

The 2019 UK Household Plastics Collection Survey reported 370,890 tonnes of bottles were collected for recycling with all UK local authorities now providing a kerbside collection service. Yet, this does not mean, that the job is done, RECOUP continue to call for even better collection rates for bottles and seek to discuss the challenges with plastic film collection rates that are currently just five per cent as many authorities cannot recycle this material, while rates for pots, tubs and trays stand at less than a third (31 per cent). If 2025 targets are to be achieved RECOPU says that much still remains to be done.

Today, RECOUP, boasts over 141 members - waste management companies, reprocessors, brands and retailers, including founding members for whom the recyclability of plastics and the reduction of plastic pollution and waste have formed a key part of their environmental and sustainability ambitions.

Gordon McSkimming, Sustainable Packaging Manager at Coca-Cola European Partners, commented: “RECOUP add value by bringing together industry experts and brands and share Coca-Cola’s passion to drive down plastic waste and increase plastics recycling. Coca-Cola are proud to have been a partner of RECOUP for the last 30 years. 

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“It’s Coca-Cola’s ambition to work towards a world without waste and we want to see a world where all our plastic packaging is recycled and none ends up in the rivers or oceans. Working with RECOUP can help contribute to achieving this objective and Coca-Cola look forward to continuing to collaborate successfully as we go forward together.”

RECOUP have never been shy about having the conversations direct with the public on plastics packaging and recycling over the years visiting Jimmy’s Farm, air shows, festivals, marathons, schools, High Streets and community groups.

The Pledge2Recycle Plastics citizen arm of RECOUP is active across social media platforms and recently tackled the issue of COVID-19 litter with their #dontthrowonthego campaign.

Mr Foster hoped to continue to foster a viable and resilient plastics recycling system across the UK.

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RECOUP, has evolved into a respected authority on the challenges and opportunities of plastics recycling involving responsible producers and fostering partnerships for the greater good within the industry.

Throughout September and October this year RECOUP are staging a series of web presentations and discussions (visit www.recoup.org). Topics covered reflect the range of RECOUP’s work from plastics in farming and horticulture, to the opportunities of reuse and refillable strategies and challenges of flexible plastic recycling.

Any organisation wishing to become members of RECOUP are encouraged to contact [email protected].