Generation of plastic packaging waste in the UK 2012-2023

Approximately 2.3 million metric tons of plastic packaging waste were generated in the United Kingdom in 2023, a slight increase from the previous year. Snack bags, packets, and wrappers as well as food and vegetables packaging are some of the most common type of plastic packaging waste thrown out by UK households.

How much plastic packaging waste is recycled?

As plastic packaging waste generation in the UK has grown in the past decade, so has the recycling rate of plastic packaging in the country. In 2023, it stood at 52.5 percent, up from less than 32 percent a decade earlier. An average of 21 kilograms of plastics packaging were collected for recycling per UK househod in 2023, with plastic bottles accounting for the largest share. 

The battle against single-use plastics in the UK

Eight out of 10 British adults supported banning single-use plastics as soon as possible, according to a 2024 survey. In 2015, the UK government introduced a fee for single-use plastic bags in large shops in England, in an effort to reduce plastic pollution. Since then, several additional measures have been put in place. The latest includes the ban or restriction of several types of single-use plastic products in England, such as plates, bowls, trays, or cutlery.