ReLondon is working to tackle single-use plastic and close the loop on packaging materials in London.
Why is action on plastics and packaging important in London?
Packaging plays a key role in London’s environmental impact and materials such as bottles, cartons, paper and card contribute significantly to London’s waste stream. In total, packaging makes up an estimated 19% of London’s residual waste stream, with plastic film alone constituting 7%. The majority of plastic packaging is single-use.
Reducing London’s consumption of single-use plastic packaging (as well as other single-use plastic items and packaging materials that are commonly found in the municipal waste stream) has the potential to significantly reduce waste and contribute to the year-on-year CO2e emissions reductions required to tackle the climate emergency.
How is ReLondon working to drive a circular economy for plastics and packaging?
Research and strategy
ReLondon has conducted material flow analysis research to understand how packaging materials (including a focus on plastics) move through London’s supply chain.
Published in October 2024, London’s packaging footprint maps material flows across the city’s packaging supply chain (including a focus on plastics) and links it to consumption-based emissions, enabling London policymakers and stakeholders to identify carbon hotspots and their contribution to the city’s consumption-based emissions.
Local authorities
Plastics and other packaging are among the key materials collected by local authorities recycling services. Check out our local authority support page see our support services and resource packs.
ReLondon is also supporting London Councils on its vision to eliminate unnecessary plastic items and enable circularity of plastics, including through the development of a pledge for London boroughs to reduce their consumption of single-use plastics and the association consumption-based carbon emissions.
Business transformation
Our business transformation programme supports circular economy innovators to scale their solutions to single use plastics and packaging, including products made from recycled materials, reusable packaging systems, plastic alternatives, and models that remove packaging entirely. At the same time, we support everyday businesses to explore and shift to circular economy models such as refill and reusables.
Citizen engagement and campaigns
Our flagship campaign London Recycles, run on behalf of the Mayor of London, gives Londoners clear communications about which plastic items they can recycle and which they cannot. In recent years the campaign has expanded to include messages on plastic waste prevention and reduction, as well as encouraging choosing items that are re-usable, easily recyclable and/or include recycled content, as well as refill and packaging-free initiatives.
