Advancing the Circularity of Plastics in the UK

This research – commissioned by RRUK and prepared by Anthesis – explores how the UK can reduce plastics in the residual waste stream and accelerate progress toward a circular economy.

Inside this guide, you’ll discover:

• Why plastics in Energy from Waste (EfW) feedstock reduce efficiency and damage equipment—dispelling a common misconception.
• How plastics account for up to 70% of fossil carbon in residual waste sent to EfW plants.
• The potential for local authorities to halve future ETS costs by meeting recycling targets and recovering plastics from residual waste.
• That 62% of plastics in residual waste could have been recycled or avoided, highlighting the value of better collection and reuse.
• How expanding UK sorting and recycling infrastructure could create 1,000+ new jobs.

The report also outlines six policy recommendations to help reduce plastics in residual waste, support local authorities as the UK ETS expands to the EfW sector, and drive demand for domestic recycling.