Importance of recycling

If plastics were no longer used in packaging, the weight of packaging materials would rise by 300% and the volume of rubbish would expand by 150%, according to Recoup (the national charity developing plastics recycling in the UK).

As well as reducing landfill and waste, recycling plastic bottles helps to preserve the world's natural resources. It can also result in substantial reductions in non-renewable energy consumption. The total amount of energy required to recycle a plastic bottle is much lower than the energy required to produce a new plastic bottle. In fact, it saves enough energy to power a 60 Watt light bulb for six hours.

There's also evidence that it can help to combat climate change. The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) - the organisation behind the national Recycle Now campaign - has calculated that bottle to bottle recycling can yield a saving of at least 1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per tonne of plastic bottles recycled.