“Over the last 15 years recycling has become a more common means of managing waste in the UK. This has been due to a combination of EU directive targets, which have placed a huge downward pressure on the amount of waste sent to landfill, and the public’s general behavioural shift towards reducing the waste they produce and its environment impact.

However, over the last couple of years, recycling rates have started to stagnate and with the general economic outlook now better than since the financial crisis, the UK faces a tough challenge to maintain and improve its long-term recycling prospects. This recent trend has generated a need for organised recycling schemes, a larger number of recycling facilities and government programmes that further motivate or incentivise people to recycle. By providing further information on what materials can be recycled and by using innovative recycling methods, recycling will continue to play a key role in waste management.”

– Lewis Cone, Research Analyst

This report will explore the following key issues regarding the recycling industry in the UK:

What are the key determinants driving the recycling industry?

How has the market recovered since the recession and has there been any fundamental changes as a result?

How have the UK governments influenced and shaped the development of recycling in each respective country?

How have EU directives and individual behaviour shaped market demand and supply?

What are the key issues the industry needs to address to expand and improve recycling in the long term?

What does the future hold for the UK’s recycling industry?