A new survey has revealed that natural HDPE milk bottle recycling in the UK increased to 76% in 2010 compared to 72% in 2009, following growth from 57% in 2008.

The report found that during the year, a total of 281,000t of plastic bottles were collected for recycling, of which HDPE milk bottles shared 93,000t, representing a third of the total, according to HDPE producer Nampak Plastics Europe and RECycling Of Used Plastics (Recoup).

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The study, which attributed the growth to kerbside collections from 21.7 million UK households, said an estimated 83% of all household plastic bottles are collected for recycling.

According to Recoup, nearly 22,700t of HDPE milk bottles were landfilled during the year with landfill costs of £1.8m and recyclable sales value of £8m.

The UK Dairy Roadmap has set the targets to use 30% recycled HDPE material in bottles by 2015 and 50% by 2020.

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Packaging Gateway Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Packaging Gateway Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

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From rising paper prices to plastic reduction targets, Morris Packaging is tackling today’s toughest packaging challenges – and has won three 2025 Packaging Gateway Excellence Awards for it. Learn how Revopack and EcoPour deliver recycle-ready, high-impact packaging that boosts efficiency from filling line to retail shelf.

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