The government claims that there will be a so-called ‘plastic packaging tax’ introduced in 2022.
The government has also stated that plastic packaging accounts for 44% of the plastic used in the UK. The UK generates over 2 million tonnes of plastic packaging every year.
As was first announced in the 2018 Autumn Budget, the tax will affect plastic packaging which contains less than 30% recycled content. The tax will be UK wide and will be in effect from April 2022.
In February 2019, a consultation on the design of the tax was launched to discuss how best to implement the tax without causing ‘administrative disruption’. The government has now published their responses to the consultation, and intends to bring more detailed proposals on the matter to Budget 2019.
Commenting on the plastic packaging tax, the government stated: ‘The tax will be set at a rate that provides a clear economic incentive for businesses to use recycled material in the production of plastic packaging, which will create greater demand for this material and in turn stimulate increased levels of recycling and collection of plastic waste, diverting it away from landfill or incineration.’
Quote from Nigel Holland:
“Although it will cause a rise in delivery prices for the consumer, this tax will hopefully reduce the use of plastic in the UK and as a result will reduce the UK’s contributions to pollution.”
