On average, each Briton consume 120 grammes of plastic wrapping on Christmas gifts, most of which is of a type that is almost impossible to recycle. Now researchers at the University of Warwick have devised a new technique which makes it potentially possible to recycle 100% of plastic wrappings.

The lead researcher on the project, University of Warwick Engineering Professor Jan Baeyens, said: "We envisage a typical large scale plant having an average capacity of 10,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year. In a year, tankers would take away from each plant over £5 million worth of recycled chemicals and each plant would save £500,000 a year in land fill taxes alone. As the expected energy costs for each large plant would only be in the region of £50,000 a year, the system will be commercially very attractive and give a rapid payback on capital and running costs."

Nevertheless, for the time being, most recyclers will still throw away the majority of their gift wrap and packaging collections, according to WSAW.

"Plastic, metallic with foils, the little sprinkles and sparklies that they put on the paper so that it makes it look great under a Christmas tree, all of that is junk to a paper mill," said Cory Tomcyzk, owner of one recycling plant in Mosinee, WI.

(Source: 100% of most challenging Christmas plastic wrapping could be recycled by new tech [PhysOrg])