WRAP review confirms recycling generally remains the best option for UK waste

Further research by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) on the environmental benefits of recycling reaffirms its earlier conclusion that recycling generally remains the best option for most materials in the UK waste stream. In 2006 WRAP published a major research report, 'Environmental Benefits of Recycling', based on an international review of life-cycle analyses (LCAs) that evaluated the impact on the environment of recycling, landfilling or incineration of key materials in UK waste streams. The review assessed 55 ‘state of the art’ LCAs on paper and cardboard, glass, plastics, aluminium, steel, wood and aggregates. The conclusion was clear – most studies show that recycling offers more environmental benefits and lower environmental impacts than the other waste management options. With the emergence of new waste management options and new waste streams in the last three years, WRAP decided to update this report to ensure that policy-makers and stakeholders are aware of the latest conclusions from LCA data on waste management options. The new study, 'Environmental Benefits of Recycling – 2010 Update', reviewed the LCAs of additional materials including food waste, garden waste, textiles and biopolymers. New waste management technologies such as pyrolysis, gasification, anaerobic digestion, composting and energy-from-waste technologies were examined. The review looked again at wood, plastics, paper and cardboard but aluminium, steel, glass and aggregates were excluded as the results from the earlier study (i.e. that recycling was the preferred waste management option for these materials) would not be affected by the new technologies. WRAP environmental policy manager Keith James said, 'The interesting message was that recycling materials saves more energy than energy facilities actually gain from the materials.' But the report stressed that in order to maximize the environmental benefits of recycling it was essential to develop UK recycling capacity. * To download the report click here