30/09/2026
“London generates millions of tonnes of waste every year, with plastic accounting for around 9% of household waste by weight.
However, London has previously estimated that plastic represents around 9% of
household waste by weight. If that proportion were applied to the latest 3.548 million
tonnes of London LACW, it would indicate roughly:
≈320,000 tonnes of plastic per year!
Could London’s Plastic Waste Become the Street Furniture of Tomorrow?
Goplastic highlights the opportunity to turn waste plastic into durable, long-life
products for public spaces.
London generates an enormous amount of plastic packaging waste every year — but what if
more of that material could be given a second life as long-lasting products for our streets,
parks and public spaces?
New figures from ReLondon (2024), estimate that 379,000 tonnes of plastic packaging
enter the London market every year with only around46,000 tonnes collected for
recycling.
For Goplastic, the figures highlight the importance of finding practical ways to keep waste
plastic in productive use for longer.
Rather than allowing suitable waste plastic to become part of the residual waste stream,
recycled plastic can be transformed into products designed for demanding outdoor
environments — from benches and picnic tables to planters, boardwalks, bollards and other street furniture.
From waste material to long-life infrastructure.
Recycled plastic offers a different approach to traditional materials for external works.
Unlike timber, recycled plastic does not rot, splinter or require regular painting, staining or
preservative treatment. It is also resistant to moisture and designed to withstand the
demands of outdoor environments.
This can make it particularly suitable for public spaces where products need to remain
functional and attractive over many years, while requiring minimal ongoing maintenance.
For architects, landscape designers, local authorities and contractors, specifying recycled
plastic can therefore provide an opportunity to combine durability, low maintenance and
resource efficiency within a single product choice.
A resource worth keeping in circulation
The scale of London's plastic waste demonstrates the challenge — but also the potential.
Across the UK, the latest figures show that more than 2.1 million tonnes of plastic
packaging waste was generated in 2024, with approximately 1.15 million tonnes
recycled.
While recycling packaging back into new packaging is an important part of the circular
economy, there is also an opportunity to use suitable recycled plastic in applications where
the material can remain in service for many years.
“Recycling isn't simply about what happens to a material at the end of its first life. It's also
about finding ways to give that material a useful second life.”
For Goplastic, that means taking recycled plastic and turning it into practical products that
can be used every day in communities across the UK.
Designed for the places people use every day.
From town centres and parks to schools, healthcare environments, transport areas and
public spaces, street furniture has an important role to play in creating attractive and
functional places.
Using recycled plastic for these applications can help designers and specifiers consider the
environmental impact of material selection alongside the practical requirements of the
project.
Goplastic provides a range of recycled plastic products for external works, supported by
BIM/CAD files, technical information, installation guidance and Environmental
Product Declarations (EPDs) to help architects and specifiers make informed material
choices.
As pressure increases to reduce waste and make better use of resources, the question is no longer simply what we do with plastic waste.
It is also what we could make from it.
Source: (ReLondon, London’s Packaging Footprint (2024). ReLondon estimates that 379,000 tonnes of plastic packaging enter the London market annually, with approximately 325,000 tonnes going to incineration and 46,000 tonnes collected for recycling. UK figures: Defra, 2024 plastic packaging waste statistics.)
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