Page 53 - Plastics News January 2018

internAtionAL news

UK committee calls for nationwide

plastic bottle deposit program

he U.K. Parliament Environmental
TAudit Committee has issued a
report calling for a nationwide deposit,
along with an increase in the number of
public water fountains. The committee
also called for making producers
responsible for the plastic packaging
they produce. An influential committee
of the United Kingdom's Parliament
says the country needs a nationwide plastic bottle deposit
program to reduce plastic pollution. In addition, the
committee urged the government to phase in a mandated
50 percent recycled plastic content in plastic bottles, to be
achieved by 2023 at the latest. “Urgent action is needed
to protect our environment from the devastating effects
of marine plastic pollution which, if it continues to rise at
current rates, will outweigh fish by 2050,” said Mary Creagh, a
member of Parliament and chairwoman of the Environmental
Audit Committee.
According to Creagh, the U.K. uses 13 billion plastic bottles
each year, around half of which are not recycled. “We need
action at individual, council, regional and national levels to
turn back the plastic tide,” she added.The MP pointed that
around 700,000 plastic bottles are littered in the U.K. every
day, adding: “the introduction of a small charge to encourage
the return of plastic bottles will result in less littering, more
recycling and reduction in the impact of plastic packaging
on our natural environment.” Additionally, the committee
urged the government to introduce a requirement for all
public premises at which food or drink is served, to provide
free drinking water on request, including at sports and
recreation centers.
“It is unacceptable that there is no legal obligation for
unlicensed cafes, restaurants and sports centers to provide
free drinking water on request,” the MP said. The U.K.,
she went on to say, has safe, clean tap water and failing to
provide it leads to unnecessary use of plastic water bottles
which clog waterways.Additionally, the committee pointed
out that packaging producers only pay for 10 percent
of the cost of packaging disposal and recycling, leaving
taxpayers to foot the bill for the remaining 90 percent. The
committee called on the government to adopt a producer
responsibility compliance fee structure that rewarded design
for recyclability and raises charges on packaging that is
difficult to recycle.

53 Januar y 2018 Plastics News