Tbh the main issues in the UK are 2: Non-homogeneous packaging eg. Cardboard food containers with plastic windows - maybe a tax applied to this package type would help.

Inconsistent disposal/recycling between boroughs/counties - there should be a countrywide mandate for recyclability types for the consumer, regardless of how those types are actually disposed of. Eg. Everyone has a food wastebin even if the council has to throw it with the rest (it doesn't have the facilities).

Educating people to recycle is difficult enough without the inconsistencies.

edit Taxing packaging by weight and type would theoretically work to minimise packaging and encourage eg. Bringing a tupperware container to the shops. You'd also need to (countrywide) standardise container types so then you could eg. Put your standard coffebean container under the supermarket dispenser and do away with packaging.

The above is a thought experiment btw. Usual dicussions about personal freedom vs state apply, but the driving force there is valid :)

After re-reading this, I realised I wasn't clear on the taxation - this would apply to manufacturers not consumers, thus incentivising them to advertise green credentials as a feature, and to cut down packaging or pass the cost on (at which point most customers would move to the cheaper product).

As far as non-homogeneous packaging goes, if it takes longer than 5sec to separate each bit into homogeneous parts, then I'd class it as non-homogeneous.

Dutch supermarkets have really improved in this regard the past few years. Many of their own-brand products now have clearly separable packaging (i.e. a plastic container with a cardboard wrapper that you can just slide off), and the branding contains clear instructions on how to recycle. For example, I just took this wrapping out of the trash [1], which says "wrapper: paper" to the left, and "rest: plastic" to the right.

[1] https://i.imgur.com/XMwa2US.jpg

The problem, which is largely what the article is about, is that what's recyclable depends on where you are. They'd have to create council-specific packaging. I'm far left on this issue, but that seems like an unrealistic burden.

To follow up with my own thoughts on what would help: the cost of plastic seems fully externalized. Companies that use plastic packaging should bear the brunt of the cost of recycling / disposing of plastic. Properly priced, we might see more innovation in the field.

There should be a symbol that says not-recyclable! Which would be great when my SO tries to put another milk carton in the cardboard recycling again.

Everything is recyclable. Not everything is cheaply recyclable. Hence some places are willing to recycle things like Styrofoam and some aren't - it's all about cost.

Recycling cardboard/steel/glass is cheap (you can even make money).

Recycling Styrofoam is expensive (you'll probably lose money).

Some places do recycle milk cartons though.

Ooooh, my wife is going to love this lol.

It is absurd that this is the consumers' problem. This is the manufacturers problem. Let them sort it out.