In response to comments about recycling plastic from the prime minister on 25 October 2021, The British Plastics Federation (BPF) has issued the following statement from BPF Director General Philip Law:
The plastic
s industry will continue working with the government for the good of the environment and it is hugely important that plastic waste is managed better globally.
Improving recycling within the UK is part of the government’s strategy for dealing with plastic waste and recycling plastic reduces carbon emissions and keeps valuable material in functional use. We were pleased that the BPF’s Recycling Roadmap was endorsed by a government minister earlier this year.
The BPF would like the government to invest in future-proofing the UK’s recycling infrastructure so more plastic can be recycled within the UK by 2030. This will create jobs, reduce the use of fossil fuels, make the circular economy a reality and enable the government to meet its own aim of eliminating avoidable plastic waste by 2042.
Substituting plastic with other materials is often not the best thing for the environment and failing to follow the science could impact the nation’s health, the standard of our healthcare, the government’s ability to meet its net zero targets and increase food waste.
The plastics industry employs 180,000 people, including recyclers, who should be proud of the vital role they play in delivering an innovative, low carbon, modern economy.