Have you ever wondered what happens to the soft plastic waste we see all around us—things like crisp packets, salad bags, and bubble wrap? These materials are notoriously tricky to recycle, yet many UK supermarkets have introduced collection points claiming to do just that.
Since 2021, major supermarkets have been encouraging customers to return soft plastic packaging to front-of-store collection points for recycling. With soft plastic recycling labels now commonplace on many products, these schemes present themselves as a convenient and environmentally friendly way to manage plastic waste. However, it turns out this is far from the full story.
A recent investigation by Everyday Plastic reveals some uncomfortable truths about what actually happens to soft plastic waste after it's dropped off at supermarkets like Sainsbury's and Tesco. The results show that much of this plastic isn’t being recycled at all, raising important questions about how we’re managing plastic waste—and whether these schemes are part of the solution or the problem.
The Investigation: Where Does the Plastic Go?
To find out what really happens to the soft plastic collected at supermarkets, Everyday Plastic teamed up with the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and placed tracking devices into 40 bundles of soft plastic packaging. These bundles were then dropped off at Sainsbury’s and Tesco stores across England between July 2023 and February 2024. Over the course of 12 months, the trackers revealed that the soft plastic travelled a collective distance of over 25,000km, ending up in various locations across the UK and overseas.
The results were startling. Of the tracked plastic that reached a known destination, 70% was not recycled at all—it was either burnt for energy or turned into fuel pellets for industrial use. The rest was downcycled, where waste materials are turned into products of lower quality or value. Here’s a breakdown of the results:
7 bundles were converted into fuel pellets, commonly used in industries like cement manufacturing.
5 bundles were incinerated, with two sent to European facilities.
4 bundles were downcycled overseas into lower-value products.
1 bundle was downcycled in the UK.
These findings raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of supermarket soft plastic take-back schemes. While customers are led to believe that their efforts to recycle soft plastic are helping the planet, the truth is that most of this waste is not being recycled in any meaningful way.
The Challenges of Soft Plastic Recycling
Recycling soft plastic is incredibly difficult, a fact acknowledged by both the waste management industry and the UK government. Unlike rigid plastics, soft plastics like plastic bags and food wrappers are often made of complex materials that can’t easily be recycled into new packaging. In the UK, the infrastructure to handle this kind of recycling is severely limited. As it stands, only about 25% of soft plastic packaging can be recycled, and that’s mainly industrial and commercial plastic, not the post-consumer waste dropped off at supermarkets.
Because of this, much of the plastic collected through supermarket take-back schemes is either exported abroad or incinerated. In the investigation, eight of the tracked bundles were sent overseas, the majority to Türkiye, where they were downcycled or burnt. This process is far from environmentally friendly and poses significant risks to both human health and the environment in the countries that receive this waste.
Supermarkets: Part of the Problem, or Part of the Solution?
Supermarkets like Sainsbury’s and Tesco are playing a significant role in shaping public perceptions of soft plastic recycling. By promoting these take-back schemes and labelling their packaging as recyclable, they give customers the impression that they are helping to solve the plastic problem. But as the investigation shows, this is misleading. In reality, these schemes are doing little to reduce plastic waste, and may even be diverting attention away from the real issue—the sheer volume of plastic being produced in the first place.
Plastic production is set to triple by 2060, and while recycling is part of the solution, it’s not enough. Campaigners argue that the focus needs to shift from recycling to reducing the amount of plastic produced. Everyday Plastic and the EIA are calling on Sainsbury’s and Tesco to publicly support a 40% cut in global plastic production by 2040. This would be a significant step toward addressing the root cause of the plastic crisis, rather than just managing its symptoms.
What Can Be Done?
The findings of this investigation make it clear that the current soft plastic recycling schemes are not fit for purpose. Everyday Plastic and the EIA are urging the UK government to take decisive action, including:
Cutting plastic production by 40% by 2040.
Banning the export of plastic waste to other countries.
Promoting reuse and refill schemes as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic.
Expanding the UK’s recycling infrastructure to handle more post-consumer soft plastic packaging.
They also call on supermarkets to be more transparent about what really happens to the plastic they collect and to stop misleading consumers with claims about recyclability that don’t match the reality.
How You Can Help
Everyday Plastic has launched a petition calling on Sainsbury’s and Tesco to support a 40% cut in global plastic production by 2040. You can add your voice to the growing movement by signing the petition and sharing it with your friends and family. By holding supermarkets accountable and pushing for real change, we can start to tackle the plastic problem at its source.
Conclusion
The soft plastic recycling schemes at major supermarkets may seem like a step in the right direction, but the reality is far more complex. With the majority of the collected plastic ending up being burnt or downcycled overseas, it’s clear that these schemes are not the solution they claim to be. It’s time for supermarkets to step up and take real action by supporting cuts in plastic production and investing in sustainable alternatives.
If we’re going to solve the plastic crisis, we need to go beyond recycling and start addressing the root causes of plastic waste.
Find out more about Everyday Plastic and their investigation at https://www.everydayplastic.org/softplastic
[All image credits Everyday Plastic.]
