We welcome the government’s focus on plastic recycling as protecting our oceans and the environment is something which concerns us all.

Government policy and taxes have played a crucial part in changing behaviour relating to all waste streams. This has helped to bring about a change in mindset where waste is now genuinely seen as a resource for which we must find second life uses.

Segregation of single-use plastics, such as drinks bottles, is key to ensuring effective recycling and any activity which draws attention to the importance of conserving resources and minimising waste should be beneficial to us all.

Whilst many of our customers in the business sector manage their plastic waste streams well, for others dealing with post-consumer waste streams, it is much more of a challenge.

Cawleys is relaunching its office recycling scheme to include coffee cups and plastic drinks bottles to support our clients in this.  We already have a successful blueprint for our customers with Canary Wharf being a Clean Coffee Zone since February 2017.

As a business, we are making every effort to support the end of plastic waste wherever it occurs, but call on the government to support the waste industry by addressing the wider infrastructure and international issues which affect the plastics recycling market.