MPs call for bold national Plastic Packaging Plan to help consumers protect our oceans and create green UK jobs

The UK can no longer afford to sweep its plastic waste problem under other countries’ carpets if it wants to be a global environmental leader, says a new report.

The report, from UK think-tank Policy Connect, has called for a bold national policy framework to reduce ocean plastic overseas and boost domestic infrastructure investment, innovation and green jobs.

The “Plastics Packaging Plan: Achieving Net Zero ‘Waste’ Exports” report is backed by 12 cross-party politicians and says the UK must urgently take back control of its share of the global plastics problem, and needs an ambitious new roadmap to deliver a coherent circular and sustainable plastics policy that consumers feel proud of and protects marine life from UK plastic.

Jonathon Shaw, Chief Executive of Policy Connect, said: “Britain’s used plastic export habit is costing our economy and the planet. We can no longer sweep our plastic rubbish problem under other countries’ carpets. British consumers want to recycle more but our lack of UK reprocessing plants and circular policies are letting them down.”

“We need a bold national plastics plan that we can all be proud of to protect the marine environment, to kick-start infrastructure investment and jobs, and to boost UK demand for recycled plastics.”

The report finding stop short of calling for a ban on exports but says the UK would benefit politically, economically, socially and environmentally from prioritising domestic processing over export.

UK consumers want to do more for the environment so government must make it easier for local authorities to help them recycle more.

Mary Creagh MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, said: “Exporting two-thirds of the UK’s plastic waste overseas is bad for jobs, bad for business and our environment. I welcome the call for the UK to commit to a bold target of zero exports of packaging by 2030.”

“Achieving this will require home grown solutions such as implementing a Deposit Return Scheme by 2022 and applying a coffee cup levy as my Committee recommended. We can and must transition from exporting our plastic waste problem to growing our own solutions.”