Recommendations & Conclusions
7 items
4
Recommendation
Third Report - The price of plastic: en…
Accepted
The new Government should commit to reporting on progress against all these targets annually. We also recommend that the Government should devise mechanisms to enforce these targets either through an existing regulator or upcoming reforms. (Paragraph 26) Extended producer responsibility for packaging
Government response. The government states that it has already published plans for monitoring and evaluating progress on the Resources and Waste Strategy, and has published a Monitoring Progress report annually since 2020. The UK packaging recycling rates are published annually.
12
Conclusion
Third Report - The price of plastic: en…
Accepted
Achieving the widespread adoption of reusable packaging and refill would require fundamental changes to a large part of our economy and to the mindset and behaviour of companies and consumers—it will not be possible to deliver this using the Extended Producer Responsibility reforms alone.
Government response. The government agrees that widespread adoption of reusable packaging will require fundamental changes to business and consumer behaviours, and highlights their work with WRAP, funding for reuse and refill pilots, and data collection efforts.
13
Recommendation
Third Report - The price of plastic: en…
Accepted
We recommend that the Government create a reuse taskforce containing representatives from industry and consumer groups. This taskforce should develop to a suite of measures to encourage, incentivise and require businesses and consumers to adopt more reuse habits and systems. This group should consider measures including charges on single-use products, …
Government response. The government claims to already be addressing this through funding WRAP and the UK Plastics Pact, who are encouraging businesses and consumers to adopt reuse systems and habits through support, trials, roundtables, and guidance.
23
Recommendation
Third Report - The price of plastic: en…
Accepted
Finally, we recommend that the Government should consider the merits of introducing an incineration tax, designed to drive up demand for—and therefore attract private capital investment in—alternative waste disposal methods once they are viable, including mechanical, chemical and composting recycling facilities. (Paragraph 101) International plastics
Government response. The government considers the intention of the recommendation to be already addressed through the consultation on the expansion of the UK ETS to include waste incineration, and the Plastic Packaging Tax, and that an additional incineration tax is not required.
24
Recommendation
Third Report - The price of plastic: en…
Accepted
While upcoming Government reforms to the regulation of waste carrier registration and the introduction of digital waste tracking both have the potential to help combat the dumping of UK waste in foreign countries, the current level of compliance and enforcement activity by the Environment Agency does not appear to be …
Government response. The EA intends to consult in 2023 on levying charges on shipments of green list waste, allowing them to recover regulation costs from exporters and strengthen compliance work, including checks on plastic waste exports, and the Waste Tracking System will …
26
Recommendation
Third Report - The price of plastic: en…
Accepted
Exporting waste will always be vulnerable to crime and while the UK must strengthen enforcement efforts, not every bad batch of exported waste will be caught. Many stakeholders have called on the UK to work towards a ban on all plastic waste exports. Waste management sector representatives believe this could …
Government response. The government states that they already publish plans for monitoring and evaluating progress on the Resources and Waste Strategy and that there will be a legal requirement to report annually on progress against the Environmental Improvement Plan.
27
Recommendation
Third Report - The price of plastic: en…
Accepted
We are pleased that the previous Government signed the UK up to the UN Environment Assembly agreement working towards a global treaty to tackle plastic pollution, and welcome the UK’s founding membership of the related High Ambition Coalition within the forthcoming negotiations. However, we believe that, without the inclusion of …
Government response. The government agrees and supports the inclusion of legally binding global obligations as part of the treaty and intends to use the best available evidence to determine which measures will be most effective.