Page 43 - Plastics News May 2023

PRSE: Giving recyclers a platform Highlands based

n just a few weeks, once again the important plastics recycling event in recycling scheme aims to
Imost important event in the Euro- Europe. reduce single use cups
pean recycling world will be held in Brief background
Amsterdam. For two days – 9 and 10 According to charity Keep Scotland
May- the Amsterdam RAI will provide Plastics recycling is not a new activity, Beautiful, around 200 million single
the backdrop for the European plastic but it is a sector that for decades op- use cups are used and discarded in
recycling industry to showcase what erated more or less out of view. That Scotland every year. Only 4% of
makes this such an innovative and started to change when the European these are recycled.
highly relevant industry today. Commission adopted its first circular A recent survey highlighted that
economy action plan in 2015.
When it launched in 2017, the Plas- 81%[1] of people in the Highlands
tics Recycling Show Europe, to give it In it, plastics were identified as a key thought takeaway venues needed
its proper name, was an initiative of priority and it included targets for to do more to make it easier for
a tiny team of people, who saw the landfill, reuse, and recycling, to be met people to buy and use reusable cups
direction in which Europe was head- by 2030 and 2035, along with new ob- if they wanted to while 90%[2] are
ed. Developments at the European ligations for the separate collection of concerned about the environmental
level indicated that momentum was textiles and biowaste. Moreover, the impact of takeaway cups being lit-
gathering for a new way of thinking Commission committed to formulat- tered.
about the economy. Finite resources, ing a European circular economy plas- In response the pilot reusable cup
marine pollution, climate change – the tics strategy - a strategic vision, setting scheme has been developed in
realisation dawned that these were out what a circular plastics economy partnership with local businesses
real. And suddenly, circularity became could look like in the decades ahead. that sell takeaway drinks in the
the new credo. Take, make, waste area around the NC500 route. The
The question that remained for the In a linear economy, there is very lit- scheme uses App technology from
industry was: how? tle incentive to recycle. And indeed, cup system suppliers Vytal. 25
businesses have signed up to trial
At that time, the trade organisations the reuse and recycling of end-of-life the scheme, running until Autumn
for recyclers started realising just plastics in the EU was – and essentially 2023, with the aim to make it easy
how important their contribution still is - very low, particularly in com- for people to make the switch from
could be to the new drive for circular- parison with other materials such as single-use cups to reusable ones for
ity. What was lacking was a meeting paper, glass or metals. their takeaway drinks. The process
place: and event where the industry In this take-make-waste model, works like this:
could come together, but also where therefore, waste is the end point – it’s 1. Download the Vytal app.
relevant players and interested parties why there are such huge volumes of
from outside the recycling industry it. And more continues to be gener- 2. Order your favourite brew.
could become informed and join the ated at a dizzying pace, bringing with 3. QR code from the customer
plastics circularity discussion. Hav- a host of problems, from leakage into and cup scanned.
ing previously launched the Plastics the environment to the microplastics 4. Return within 14 days.
Recycling Expo in Telford (UK), Matt currently polluting even the air. As a
Barber, global events director at Crain result, the image of plastics and the 5. Repeat.
Communications, saw this could be plastics industry has over the years Catherine Gee, Deputy CEO of
a springboard for a European-wide plummeted to new depths, with con- Keep Scotland Beautiful, said:
event, in collaboration with Plastics sumers and environmental organisa- “While the convenience of single
Recyclers Europe. From that spark tions becoming increasingly vocal in use cups often wins over reusable
of an idea, PRSE was born. The event their demands for less plastic waste options, they come at a cost, to our
launched with relatively modest ex- and better waste management. environment, and also for those
pectations. Today, it is now the most businesses using them to sell their
hot and cold drinks in.

PLASTICS NEWS 43
May 2023