Page 39 - Plastics News October 2021

INTERNATIoNAL NEwS

UK Government Under Pressure To Do More CM O & CBCR A

On Single-Use Plastics Partner For Recycling

Initiative In Ontario

anadian non-profit organisations
CCircular Materials Ontario (CMO)
and the Canadian Beverage Container
Recycling Association (CBCRA) have
launched a beverage container recycling
initiative in Ontario.The programme
will recycle beverage containers
collected in blue bins and public spaces
across the province. Containers covered
by the scheme include aluminium
cans, glass and plastic bottles, milk
cartons, juice boxes.The partnership
will provide beverage producers with
K government seems to be under recycled content from April 2022.While the services required to comply with
Upressure to do more on single-use environmental campaigners welcome Ontario’s Blue Box Regulation. Under
plastics according to reports. The move this step, they are calling for more the regulation, producers must collect
comes ahead of this year’s COP26 immediate action. "What we're seeing and manage ‘blue box’ materials from
meeting which begins in Glasgow on now is that the UK is falling behind the municipalities between 2023 and 2025.
31 October, where the UN, country rest of Europe," says Steve Hynd, policy They are also required to fulfil certain
representatives, and experts will attempt manager at the environmental campaign goals for the management of consumer
to build a consensus on mitigation, group City to Sea. "All across Europe, beverage containers.CBCRA and
adaptation, and collaboration to tackle there's legislation coming in and what CMO will engage in various activities,
climate change. The government says we're seeing in the UK has been slow including developing a collection
it is tackling the plastic pollution issue, off the mark and slow on the uptake system for beverage containers and
already banning microbeads, plastic of this really important environmental conducting consumer promotion and
straws, stirrers and cotton buds. It aims legislation." "This means banning some education. The two organisations will
to prevent all plastic waste by the end of of the most polluting single-use items
2042. "We have made progress to turn like plastic cutlery as a matter of absolute
the tide on plastic, banning the supply of urgency," says Hynd. "But, in addition
plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds, to that, if the government was really
while our carrier bag charge has cut sales serious about tackling plastic pollution,
by 95 percent in the main supermarkets," it has an opportunity now through the
says UK Environment Secretary George environment bill to introduce legally
Eustice. "Now we are looking to go a binding targets to tackle plastic pollution
step further as we build back greener. in its entirety." Many small businesses are
These plans will help us stamp out the making their own efforts to eliminate
unnecessary use of plastics that wreak single-use plastics, either using wooden operate a supplemental collection
havoc with our natural environment." disposable cutlery, or metal cutlery and management system to increase
The government is starting a consultation for eating in. But since the start of beverage container recycling away
this fall, which could lead to a ban on the pandemic, some companies have from homes. CMO and CBCRA also
plastic cutlery. The government will also increased the use of plastics in takeaway aim to reach Ontario’s state-set target
introduce a new world-leading tax on products. "We've seen lots of cafes and of collecting and managing 75% of
plastic packaging which does not meet pubs even having single-use cutlery for beverage containers supplied locally by
a minimum threshold of at least 30% eating in," says Hynd.
2026 and 80% by 2030.

38 PLASTICS NEWS OCTOBER 2021 39 PLASTICS NEWS OCTOBER 2021