There are many areas in which the United Kingdom is lagging behind its European counterparts when it comes to recycling and waste management. As people in the UK become more educated about the topic, recycling rates have gone up significantly heading into 2010. A recent study showed that the recycling of plastics is on the rise in the United Kingdom and at the current pace the UK will be able to reach the plastics recycling goal outlined by the European Union for the year 2020. Even though the world has plummeted into the depths of an economic crisis, the recycling of plastic in the United Kingdom has actually gone up over the last year according to the report. This is good news for the United Kingdom, as it has come under fire in recent weeks for its perceived failure to meet many of the goals outlined in the EU recycling and waste management directive.
The report showed that twenty six percent of all plastic is recycled in the UK, which is up by two percent from the previous year. Researchers say that even though it is good that the number is rising, that nearly three quarters of all plastic in the UK is still ending up in landfills. Some recent additions to the plastic recycling list should help get the numbers even higher, as now certain types of flooring and packaging can be recycled as well. Even though plastic recycling is up, there is still a high demand for recycled plastic as it is significantly cheaper than virgin materials.
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