Previously the UK has not dealt with post-consumer waste plastic within its own shores and relied on this exportation to countries such as China.
In January 2018 China banned all importation of UK plastic –two thirds of the UK’s total plastic waste exports previously were shipped to China*. The question has been raised, what will happen to this discarded plastic in the UK – will it be buried? Or burnt? Neither solution is particularly positive.
Every year more than 8million tonnes of plastic is discarded into the oceans* and over 50% of British household waste is not recycled within the UK*.
What More UK, the largest UK manufacturer of British household plastic products, were determined to find a viable solution that didn’t then cause later problems.
Working directly with recycling centres they have spent countless hours and days testing and trialling a process which is now commercially viable, they have manufactured a product range made from 95% post-consumer waste plastic, UPCYCLED.
What More UK is pleased to announce their new range of products, of which 95% is made from previously single-use plastic.
What More UK, based in Burnley, Lancashire, has created the UPCYCLED range – strong, durable, lasting storage boxes made from plastic that would have been previously shipped away.
Tony Grimshaw, OBE, Managing Director of What More UK said: “The UPCYCLED range is a huge triumph for us. Instead of finding another way to either pass on the PP plastic – incinerate it, creating toxic chemicals, or put it into landfill, where it can take up to half a millennium to decay – What More UK made the decision to work towards a viable long-term solution. We are urging manufacturers, the government and the public to get on board with a solution. I want to shout about a positive solution to the problem the UK is facing.
“Independent and national retailers need to support products made from post-consumer waste. This will ensure that in the future the UK can take full responsibility for its own waste, from household to manufacturer, retailer and back to the consumer.”
Pollution and plastic use is a hot topic, with many influential figures such as MPs taking a stand, choosing to not use single-use plastics in their day to day lives. The issue still presents however, with what will come of all the current single-use plastics in circulation and lack of a viable alternative for the consumer market. Plastics offer a hygienic, disposable, storage solution for items such as liquids, foods and first-aid equipment.
