It’s just past half time for The UK Plastics Pact. Will we achieve the result the world wants?

I've always been very passionate about sustainability and about recycling in particular. It really started one day in school Assembly when my headmaster pointed out of the window and explained how many trees would be cut down in the Amazon rainforest as he was talking. I remember being so utterly shocked that I decided I needed to do something about it. I'm not sure it’s what the school was expecting, because I started collecting paper during lunch break and got on the phone to paper recycling companies who were just completely baffled by this little girl with this drum of paper. They were asking me how many tonnes I had, and I didn’t even know what a ton was! But recycling then became a regular part of our school. 

Wind forward about 30 years and I was given the huge privilege of running The UK Plastics Pact after working in recycling with WRAP for more than 10 years. We had been beavering away on the plastic packaging conundrum for many years. Then suddenly came the Blue Planet effect and everything snowballed from there. We knew we had to grab the opportunity as it might never have come along again.  The UK Plastics Pact emerged from that perfect storm. It’s been without doubt the biggest professional challenge of my career so far, but also the most rewarding.  It has been the perfect training ground for my new role overseeing all of our voluntary agreements. 

This is the unique space that WRAP occupies. It’s helpful to stand on the sidelines and advocate and agitate, but someone then has to do the job of coalescing the people who need to make that change and build the evidence to support them to actually do it. That’s much more challenging. 

Well, some of it has really not been plain sailing. But what has definitely made it less of a rollercoaster is that we managed to get the membership aligned behind the targets, so everyone was pulling in the right direction.  

And being able to come back to the evidence we are building which gives us the credibility behind the decisions we are advocating. 

Equally as important is listening to companies and organisations where there is resistance and understanding what their challenges are. For some it’s been a bit of an awakening to see what the commitment they signed up to actually means in reality. So, we have had to stand with them, and support them through change.  

This is the unique space that WRAP occupies. It’s helpful to stand on the sidelines and advocate and agitate, but someone then has to do the job of coalescing the people who need to make that change and build the evidence to support them to actually do it. That’s much more challenging. 

When I look back, I can see some key moments which I believe have really challenged the status quo. Things like significant changes in packaging design, the reduction in difficult to recycle plastics.  

A moment of reflection and cause for celebration was when Coca Cola changed from its iconic green coloured packaging for Sprite to clear. I recall the nervousness of Nick Brown (Head of Sustainability at the time) as I approached the podium at the House of Lords with a Sprite bottle in my hand, and his relief at my words that the bottle was greener than ever before. We challenged the preconceptions that shoppers would be frustrated and lost if items such as sparkling water was in clear rather than green bottles. We were told that sushi lovers would never accept their sushi in anything but a black tray; but this has changed. When we see huge brands making these bold moves which they thought would never be possible, then this unlocks the door for others to follow. They are really proud moments for me. 

When I look back, I can see some key moments which I believe have really challenged the status quo. Things like significant changes in packaging design, the reduction in difficult to recycle plastics.  

I get that, but we have to be realistic and accept that plastic packaging can have an important role to play and that making it recyclable is still an important way of keeping it out of our oceans and countryside. But yes, there is still too much of it, and we have to really drive forward now on where we can reduce and remove it altogether safely, and without displacing the environmental impact elsewhere.  

But in the interim, we also have to tackle the issue in front of us. Take flexible packaging (or plastic bags and wrapping which is what our friends and family would describe it) which makes up a big proportion of the plastic packaging we use, and yet is one of the most challenging to recycle. Achieving circularity is our key priority and getting off the starting block is the most difficult part. All parts of the supply chain have to take the leap to make it work. If we don't collect it, it will never be recycled. The recycling infrastructure will never develop, the end markets will not evolve, design will continue to be poor. I’m proud that we now have more than four and a half thousand collection points in the country, that we are seeing investment in UK infrastructure to sort and recycle it, that design is improving and in April this year more than half a million people were searching on the Recycle Now website to find their nearest collection point. It’s still far from perfect, but we should all be proud of how quickly everyone across the industry has come together to develop and start to roll out this tangible solution. 

Recycling Plastic Bags and Wrapping 

It’s difficult to switch off because everyone seems to have a view and when I tell anyone what I do for a living, everyone is asking me for an answer for a specific problem they have at home or asking me why we can’t just ban all plastic 

I think sometimes it’s useful to remind people that we are first and foremost environmentalists who share their passion to protect the planet. And I find the critique helpful, because it helps us to constantly challenge ourselves and hold us to account for the commitments we have made. I’ve developed resilience, a thick skin, and the ability to listen. 

 

On the other hand, action needs to happen now, and can’t wait for legislation. The policy changes coming on board, such as EPR, are potentially game-changing, but the delays are challenging. In voluntary agreements we have the freedom to let this be a laboratory, experiment, change, pool thinking and resources, fail, try again. And this is why I believe they are so dynamic and such a powerful agent for change. And while legislation is sometimes necessary, it is a blunt instrument and can create an administrative burden. If we can prove success through voluntary means then that is a win:win. 

 

It depends on what you mean by ‘voluntary’? I would argue that there are enough compelling pressures on businesses in getting ready for the big policy changes afoot which makes businesses feel like tackling their plastic use is a must-have. The best approach is when government policy is aligned to voluntary action, so they drive each other, like in the UK. This sets the framework for change, legitimises it, and also brings along those finding it more difficult to change. 

On the other hand, action needs to happen now, and can’t wait for legislation. The policy changes coming on board, such as EPR, are potentially game-changing, but the delays are challenging. In voluntary agreements we have the freedom to let this be a laboratory, experiment, change, pool thinking and resources, fail, try again. And this is why I believe they are so dynamic and such a powerful agent for change. And while legislation is sometimes necessary, it is a blunt instrument and can create an administrative burden. If we can prove success through voluntary means then that is a win:win. 

The targets were always very stretching and I'm of the mindset that if you set a target and people don't look at you like you're a bit crazy, then you haven't set yourself a high enough goal. On the positive side, we’ve done great work in setting the strategic direction, bringing members together and developing robust processes to measure impact and ensure everyone is playing their part.  We’ve made real progress against some of our targets; tackled some really complex challenges and made bold decisions. Citizens are more engaged in recycling than ever before. So, some big, big wins. 

But the second half will be tough. The key focus has to be plastic bags and wrapping. We must reduce and eliminate where it is unnecessary, for example, in many types of fruit and vegetables and this is no small undertaking. But that’s not going to solve the problem entirely of course. Plastic bags and wrapping are resource efficient materials and how do we achieve at scale flexible plastic recycling at pace. When we set the targets in 2018, we made assumptions about when key policy measures would be implemented. As the picture becomes clearer, we need to crunch the data to understand the impacts and course of action needed. In the first half we’ve picked the low hanging fruit, it becomes more difficult as we go.  

 

I think there's still a disconnect between what people say that they want and then what they actually do.  

So, Pact members have a lot of work to do to unlock those barriers and make it easier for their consumers because I do think there is a groundswell and a readiness to shop differently. We need people to be better informed and then supported to the right thing. But I equate it to animal welfare. Consumers expect the industry to have adopted basic minimum standards before it reaches the shelves. It is incumbent on the industry to lead the agenda and walk the talk. 

The first thing you would see if you went walking into the supermarket instead of a sea of plastic packaging would be a lot fresher fruit and vegetables sold loose. There would be no black plastic in sight. As you navigate through the store, there would be extensive refill stations, and prominent collection points for you to drop off all your plastic bags and wrapping. And this would be part of your regular weekly shop. When you get home and you’re finished with the packaging, there is a clear label on it for you to know exactly what to do with it – recycle it at home or store to bring back to the supermarket.  

As well as a win for our oceans, it would mean that we could revaluate our whole relationship with food. If we were buying unpackaged fruit and veg, we would understand how much we would actually need to cook meals – how many potatoes to make mash for example – we would be encouraged to buy what we need, have a greater understanding of portion sizes – all good things for our own health, but also cutting out food waste, which has a massive environmental impact. 

So, our vision through the Pact is where plastic packaging is only used where it is necessary and where it is used it is recycled and this in turn triggers so many other benefits, making us all smart, sustainable shoppers and all doing our bit to tackle huge environmental challenges we face, like climate change. And I genuinely believe there is the collective will and ability to realise that vision. Making it to 2025 having achieved all that would make that little girl who started her own paper recycling scheme at school very proud indeed!