Survey results: Recycled plastic is often used to package construction products, but verifying its share is more challenging

In May 2024, we sent a survey to companies to find out how much of the plastic film used in to package building materials is recycled and how they implement the recycling of plastic film. The survey was sent to the member companies of the Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries RT and ten other companies selling construction products. All companies to which the survey was sent manufacture or supply construction products. The survey was answered by eight companies, most of which use plastic film in large quantities every year. The survey was answered anonymously.

All responding companies collect and deliver the plastic film they use for packaging to waste management companies separately from other waste. A quarter responded that some of it also goes out as other waste.

Three quarters of the companies replied that the plastic film they deliver to the waste management company is recycled, but one third noted that some of the plastic film is incinerated. A quarter of the companies that responded do not know where the plastic film they deliver to the waste management company ends up.

All the companies that deliver building materials directly to construction sites replied that the construction contractor is responsible for the recycling of plastic film and waste management.

Most of the companies that responded to the survey use plastic film containing recycled material for the packaging of construction materials. However, in their responses, the companies reported challenges in acquiring plastic film containing recycled material – it was not always possible to find plastic film suitable for the process.

According to the companies that responded to the survey, the suppliers of plastic film usually have a product description of the materials contained in the plastic film. On the other hand, there seems to be a variation in obtaining a recycled material certificate: just over a third of companies receive an oral certificate from the supplier for the share of recycled material in plastic film, a quarter receive a written certificate, and only one company reported that they had received an official certificate from the supplier regarding the share of recycled material in plastic film. Most often, the supplier had informed the company about the sources of recycled plastic film materials, which usually included the reuse of the waste material generated in the production of plastic film for the manufacture of plastic film.

A quarter of the companies replied that they had set a future target for the share of recycled plastic in the plastic film they use for packaging. Half of the companies said they had set a target to increase the share of recycled material in the plastic film they use for packaging, and a quarter said they planned to discuss setting targets with suppliers. One company replied that its targets were public as a part of the Green Deal for Plastics in Construction.

Half of the respondents did not know whether the construction contractor had any requirements for the recycled content of plastic film used for packaging, and a quarter replied that the construction contractor had not set any requirements for it. Another quarter replied that the construction contractor had brought the matter up in discussions, but had not yet set any requirements.

Three quarters of the companies that responded to the survey sourced the plastic film they use solely from Finland. A quarter said they procured it both domestically and from Europe.

Based on the results of the survey, construction product suppliers have taken an active role in the circular economy of plastics: they strive to collect plastic film separately and increase its recycled material content. The survey also confirmed that separately collected plastic film is mainly used for recycling, that is, as a raw material for the manufacture of recycled plastic.

How to instil responsible use of plastic film and other plastics throughout the construction value chain? One answer is public procurement criteria for construction plastics, the introduction of which this survey was also aimed to support. Encouraging building contractors to identify the recycled material content of the plastic film used and setting target levels for it can help guide manufacturers to increase the use of recycled material, support the monitoring of material proportions and strengthen the circular economy culture.

Read more:

Metropolia student’s survey indicates that many Finnish companies are working on the recycling polyethene film plastics (published 13.11.2024)

Construction plastic cycle can be promoted through procurement – view training summary (published 1.11.2024)

Newly released public procurement criteria improve recycling rate of construction plastics (published 28.5.2024)

Survey on packaging plastics for companies manufacturing and selling construction products (in Finnish) (published 3.5.2024)

Survey: Municipalities’ attitude towards construction plastics procurement (published 21.2024)

The City of Espoo, Helsinki Region Environmental Services HSY and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences have developed sustainable procurement criteria for construction plastics for municipalities and other public organisations, together with various cities and stakeholders, in the EU co-funded Closed Plastic Circle – From Regional Pilots to Implementation project. This survey related to the recycling of plastic film was carried out by Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with the City of Espoo as part of the project.