BPF Briefing Document: UK Plastic Recycling Market Conditions

Throughout 2023–24 there have been a number of high-profile closures of plastic recycling sites within the UK, two of which took place in mid-November 2024. In 2022, the UK’s plastics recycling capacity was 1.1Mt and in the last 18 months it is estimated that around 260 K tonnes per year of recycling capacity has been lost due to site closures. Extremely challenging market conditions along with delays to legislation have all contributed towards these closures. The plastic recycling industry urgently needs government support. 

The BPF Recycling Group has produced a document which provides an overview of the key challenges faced by UK plastic recyclers and sets out some of the factors which have contributed to these challenges. The key challenges are:

• Key challenges
• Delays in legislation
• Cheap imports of virgin and recycled material
• The export market
• PRN /PERN prices
• Plastic Packaging Tax

The group has identified mitigating actions which could help to overcome some of these challenges and contribute towards developing a circular economy in the UK.

Action required

• Incentivising domestic recycling
• Support for UK plastic recyclers
• Effective delivery of the packaging reforms

The document is available here.