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The London Polybag Collection Scheme Pilot

The London Polybag Collection Scheme Pilot

The London Polybag Collection Scheme Pilot aimed to address the low recycling rates of polybags used in the fashion industry by trialling a scalable recycling infrastructure for collecting and processing polybag waste into new materials.

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Problem Statement

Each year, around 180 billion polybags are produced for the fashion industry, yet less than 15% are recycled due to a lack of infrastructure for collection and sorting. This results in significant environmental waste. With appropriate infrastructure, polybags could be recycled into high-quality materials, closing the loop on polybag waste.

Executive Summary

Fashion for Good, in partnership with adidas, Kering (Saint Laurent and Balenciaga), Stella McCartney, and waste collector First Mile, launched the London Polybag Collection Scheme in February 2020. The pilot focused on creating a system for collecting polybag waste from retail stores, and recycling it into new plastic sacks. The pilot demonstrated that recycling polybags is both feasible and cost-effective, reducing waste management costs for brands while creating a circular system.

Goals of the Project

  • Create a scalable system for collecting and recycling polybags.

  • Reduce contamination of polybag waste, ensuring high-quality recycling.

  • Demonstrate cost savings for brands through dedicated polybag waste streams.

  • Build awareness and educate staff on polybag recycling.

Project Results

  • Cost Neutrality: Brands either saved or remained cost-neutral by separating polybag waste, reducing waste collection costs by up to 40%.

  • Increased Recycling: Up to 5 tonnes of polybag waste were collected and fully recycled, creating a circular waste stream.

  • Iterative Development: Multiple polybag prototypes were iterated and tested, revealing the need for ongoing refinements to align with industry standards and scaling opportunities.

  • High-Quality Waste Stream: The separated polybag waste maintained high quality and low contamination, ensuring 100% recyclability.

  • Scalability: The pilot confirmed that a polybag collection scheme could be easily scaled with proper infrastructure and staff engagement.

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