Page 30 - Plastics News March 2020

internAtionAL news

UNIDO, Japan launch study on UK budget sets out details of

how to combat plastic pollution plastic packaging tax

he Federal Government of Nigeria, in partnership K Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has
Twith the United Nations Industrial Development Urevealed that the plastic packaging tax will see
Organization (UNIDO) and the Government of Japan, is companies paying £200 per tonne of packaging made
going to study the availability of sustainable alternatives from less than 30% recycled plastic from April 2022.
to plastics, and the viability of innovative packaging and The tax was created to encourage the use of more
recycling technologies. The study will consider options recycled plastic. The announcement was delivered as
part of Budget 2020, which GOV.UK describes as “the
first budget of a new government, the first of a new
decade, and the first since the UK’s departure from
the European Union (EU). Mr Sunak said: “From April
2022, we will charge manufacturers and importers
£200 per tonne on packaging made of less than 30%
recycled plastic.That will increase the use of recycled
plastic in packaging by 40% – equal to carbon savings
of nearly 200,000 tonnes.”The Budget 2020 report
issued following Sunak’s announcement says: “The
government will keep the level of the rate and
in the context of market needs in Nigeria and Egypt, the threshold under review to ensure that the tax remains
two leading plastic litter-generating countries in Africa. effective in increasing the use of recycled plastic.
At the inauguration of the project steering committee, “The government will also extend the scope of the
Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Mohammed Mahmood tax to the importation of filled plastic packaging and
Abubakar, said, “The plastics industry is very important, apply a minimum threshold of 10 tonnes of plastic
as it contributes significantly to the Nigerian economy packaging to ensure the smallest businesses are not
to the tune of more than three hundred billion Naira disproportionately impacted.”The plastic packaging
annually, and employs thousands of people. However, the tax was initially announced in the 2018 Budget and was
misuse of plastics and poor management of waste pose brought into consultation in spring 2019.Sunak added
great dangers to health.”The Federal Minister added,
“This study could not have come at a more auspicious
time, considering the fact that plastics and associated
wastes, particularly micro-plastics and maritime litter,
are of grave concern and have been brought to the front
burner of national, regional and international discourse.
It is against this background that this steering committee
is being established to provide guidance and assistance
to the study.” In his address, UNIDO Representative to
ECOWAS and Regional Director of the Nigeria Regional
Office Hub, Jean Bakole, said, “This study aims to carry
out an assessment of Nigeria’s infrastructural, human and
industrial capabilities for embracing new technologies as
alternatives to plastics, thereby saving our environment.” that an additional £700,000 will be used to establish
He also thanked the Japanese government for proving
financial support for the study and reaffirmed UNIDO’s the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme,
commitment towards supporting Nigeria in achieving which will encourage producers to make packaging
inclusive and sustainable industrial development. more recyclable and reduce unnecessary packaging.

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