The Problem
We consume more food and drinks ‘on-the-go’ than ever before, with coffees on the commute, a sarnie between meetings or chilled drink with the friends in the park. A nation on-the-go means we get through billions of plastic bottles, cans, glass bottles and coffee cups, many of which end up going to waste despite being recyclable.
So why isn’t there more recycling on-the-go?
Not enough bins. Less than half of local authorities currently have on-street recycling systems (WRAP 2019). This means whilst 9 in 10 of people recycle drink packaging at home, only 4 in 10 recycle on-the-go.
Confusion. Half of the public find recycling while out and about confusing (Veolia 2020), leading to high levels of contamination and low collection rates.
Contamination. The wrong materials ending up in the recycling bin often means that the recycling collected ends up being processed as general waste, which can deter further investment in providing this service.
The Solution: #InTheLoop
#InTheLoop is the UK’s biggest collaborative approach to boost recycling on-the-go, which was first trialled in Leeds in 2018, followed by similar trials in Swansea, Edinburgh, Dublin, Wimbledon, Telford and Wrekin and the London borough of Lambeth.
It aims to make it easy for people to recycle drinks materials while out and about - with the ultimate goal of reducing waste by encouraging switching to reusables.
By testing and refining our approach across the UK, and sharing our results openly, our ambitions is for #InTheLoop be replicated throughout the UK and beyond, creating a consistent and effective approach to recycling on the go.
Visit ‘Our solution’, to read our toolkit for successful recycling on-the-go.