MP chair of packaging committee highlights progress in plastics sustainability

The MP chairing Parliament’s committee for packaging has revealed his plans for consultation on the industry, in the magazine for parliamentarians, the House.

The Conservative representative for Rugby, Mark Pawsey, ran a packaging firm prior to his election. He told the magazine: “The government’s intentions and ambitions are clear but to increase recycling rates we also need to see a consistent approach by local authorities to the collection of all single serve packaging used for on the go consumption of food and drink, and a zero-tolerance approach to litter. The doubling of the maximum litter fines to £150 will go a long way to achieving this and I truly believe that by working with the packaging industry and local authorities the government can both realise its environmental goals and ensure that we all continue to enjoy the benefits that plastic offers.”

He highlighted the work of the industry’s Plastics Recycling Action Plan (PIRAP), telling the House: “This is another way in which the industry is prioritising plastic recycling. This plan involves adopting best practice collecting methods, optimising sorting infrastructure and developing end markets for recycled plastics.

“‘On the go’ packaging has been singled out as a problem in terms of both land and marine litter. The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) recently published its report on disposable coffee cups and I believe that an ‘on the go’ waste management infrastructure will achieve higher collection, less littering and more recycling. To fund this requires a reform of the UK Producer Responsibility (Packaging Recovery Note) mechanism, a development that has been endorsed by many of the UK’s leading retailers and brands and is referenced as a requirement in the EAC report.”