Recycling guidelines might change beneath plan to curb extreme packaging of merchandise
EXCLUSIVE: Emma Hardy has vowed to look at reforming recycling fees for businesses to curb excessive packaging of products that drive people ‘around the bend’
Businesses called for the plastic packaging tax to be reviewed amid questions about whether it is actually curbing plastic use(Image: Getty Images)
Emma Hardy has vowed to look at reforming recycling fees for businesses to curb excessive packaging of products that drive people “around the bend”.
In a victory for The Mirror, the environment minister this week announced that pubs, restaurants and hospitality venues will no longer be charged extra fees for disposing of glass bottles.
The changes to the Extended Producer Responsibility fees from April 2027 could save pubs up to £870 a year on packaging costs. The Mirror is campaigning to save Britain’s local boozers.
But businesses have urged ministers to go further, including reassessing the plastic packaging tax amid questions about whether it is actually curbing plastic use. Just one in five businesses have reduced their plastic packaging since the tax was introduced in 2022, while two-thirds reported no change, polling by the Government showed earlier this month.
There are currently various schemes that try to incentivise businesses to use more environmentally friendly packaging methods.
Ms Hardy said “all the different schemes” should be reviewed to find out what is and isn’t working. She said her fundamental aim is ensuring less packaging is used in the supply chain, and that where it is, more recyclable materials are chosen.
She told The Mirror: “I think one of the things that people, your readers, will absolutely recognise is when you buy something and it’s got a massive box, and as you sort of open it and get down to it, it’s got a tiny little item in the middle of this huge packaging.
“So these are the kind of things that drive people around the bend because then they’ve got a lot more they need to throw away into their own household bins.”
Asked if she wants to do more to reform packaging rules, Ms Hardy continued: “Absolutely. We want to hear from businesses. We want to know how we can make fees simpler and fairer, how we can make sure that people are paying less for packaging that’s easier to recycle.
“Fundamentally, what we are trying to do here is to get producers to use more recycling in their packaging and to use less packaging where they don’t need excessive amounts of packaging.”
Asked if the plastic packaging tax is working, the minister added: “We want to make sure that we’ve got the right incentives for businesses out there and I think it’s important that we look at them all in the round, that we look at all the different schemes that we’ve got out there…
“I think it’s important that everything is looked at and that we hear from businesses about what’s working and what’s not working.”
Ministers will launch a call for evidence on reusable packaging next month, and early next year PackUK will start gathering evidence on fees manufacturers pay for packaging waste.
Andy Bagnall, British Soft Drinks Association Director General, said: “It’s great the Minister recognises that packaging regulations need to be looked at in the round and that government needs an overall strategy for increasing the recycling of packaging while reducing unnecessary costs and complexity for manufacturers.”
Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, added: “It is essential that the long-term cumulative impact of the UK’s packaging policies are taken into consideration if we are to have a prosperous beer and pub sector in every post code.”
