Recycling Charity Clears Up the Confusion Around Plastics

Recycling Charity Clears Up the
Confusion Around Plastics

The Recycling charity RECOUP has joined forces with Norfolk Waste Partnership to develop a campaign to show how clothing can be made from recycled plastic bottles.

With the support of Marks and Spencer and the packaging manufacturer RPC Group, RECOUP and Norfolk Waste Partnership ran a Fashion Design Challenge back in April as part of Recycle for Norfolk’s ‘Putting Recycled Plastic on the Catwalk’ campaign.

Students from schools and colleges across Norfolk were asked to get creative and design fashionable items of clothing that could be made from the polyester that comes from recycled PET bottles.

Nine finalists were chosen and were given the textiles to bring their creations to life, then they were showcased as part of the One Planet Norwich Festival in June.

The packaging manufacturer RPC group said it was delighted to be involved and to help demonstrate how versatile plastic it is and how it can be used when it’s recycled.

RECOUP has also taken part in a roadshow across the region as part of its ‘Cut the Confusion’ campaign, which aims to answer questions about plastics recycling, dispel the myths, and highlight the importance of keeping waste plastics clean, dry and loose inside recycling bins to reduce the risk of contamination. Residents who attended the roadshow were able to test their recycling knowledge and prove how they know which of their bins is the right one for certain types of plastic packaging. RECOUP’s plastics experts demonstrated how plastic is recycled and highlighted the amount of recycled plastic that is already being used by retailers and manufacturers.

Talking to residents has allowed RECOUP to identify some key themes in terms of what residents are confused or unsure about when it comes to recycling. RECOUP’s CEO said that their mission is to show people how easy it is to recycle plastic containers so they don’t become a problem for the environment. He added that people will be more likely to recycle when they see what happens to the plastic they recycle, and the project is a good opportunity to reduce the confusion around plastics recycling. The less confusion there is, the less likely it is that plastic will end up as litter.