Specialists have collaborated on a collection of suggestions which calls on Authorities to take the initiative on discovering options to the plastics drawback.
Their suggestions have been revealed on 18 March in a Coverage Fee report, “The Sustainable Plastics Coverage Fee: Key findings for the UK authorities”, launched on the Homes of Parliament by Fee Chair, Baroness Molly Meacher.
Talking on the launch, Baroness Meacher stated: “Plastics are an necessary useful resource that we can not merely dispense with, however we should handle the consequences of plastic air pollution. Our Authorities is totally key to making sure that we are able to retain the worth of plastics and lengthen their life by way of modifications to the making and administration of those merchandise.”
The suggestions contained throughout the report embrace revalorising plastic ‘waste’ to assist inexperienced development and incentivise the emergence of subsequent era plastics manufacturing and recycling applied sciences. The report additionally reveals that there’s a vital alternative for the UK to spend money on chemical recycling to fulfill the demand for round merchandise, producing new job alternatives, and protecting plastic within the economic system for longer.
Different suggestions included:
- Harnessing tax techniques to advertise sustainable selections and create a ‘demand’ pull for sustainable choices.
- Setting targets and incentives to scale back waste incineration and landfilling
- Making certain nearer regulation of compostable and biodegradable plastics, together with stronger oversight of promoting claims
- Encouraging greatest practices in public sector procurement, together with protocols on plastics life cycle assessments.
- Incentives for waste administration our bodies to recirculate plastics, fostering the expansion of recent manufacturing and recycling applied sciences.
- Funding in strong proof on the human and environmental harms brought on by plastics
- Institution of a nationwide sustainable plastics innovation analysis centre to drive innovation and encourage long-term, formidable pondering.
Professor Fern Elsdon-Baker, Director of the Institute for STEMM in Tradition and Society on the College of Birmingham, stated: “Our analysis reveals that plastic air pollution is among the many most vital considerations to the general public. We’d like our policymakers to mirror that concern of their decision-making and guarantee we don’t lag behind different EU nations in areas similar to taxation on non-recycled, single-use plastics, and in figuring out and proscribing key hazardous chemical substances.”
Andrew Dove, Professor of Sustainable Polymer Chemistry on the College of Birmingham, stated: “Our report reveals the place progress is being made: the UK’s plastic packaging tax, launched in 2022, for instance, targets plastic packaging with lower than 30 per cent recycled plastic, and the Authorities is because of implement an Prolonged Producer Duty scheme later this yr. We have to construct on this momentum and benefit from the very best examples set by different nations, in addition to the analysis and innovation obtainable throughout academia and trade.”
Baroness Meacher added: “We should now take steps to implement options which improve our economic system, shield our folks and setting, and place the UK as leaders in plastics administration.”
