The British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) has responded to Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith MP’s promise made in his keynote speech at the Convervative Party Conference earlier this week that a future Tory government would scrap Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging.
The aim of EPR is to encourage producers to create packaging that’s more recyclable by holding them accountable for the full cost of managing their packaging once it becomes waste.
Following Griffith’s comments, the BSDA’s director general, Andy Bagnall, said: “Stability and certainty from government are essential to give businesses the confidence to operate and invest, so it’s important that the recycling tax landscape is considered as a [complete] system.
“The soft drinks sector is contributing the majority of the more than £1bn being invested in the Deposit Return Scheme, which will boost recycling and secure supplies of recycled plastic and aluminium.
“With the scheme going live in October next year, and the debate around the cost and complexity of the UK’s packaging system intensifying, it’s clear we need a more joined-up approach building on that programme.
Cost volatility
Bagnall went on to say that the systems already in place in an attempt to better legislate recycling in the UK have become outmoded or unreliable: “The Plastic Packaging Tax no longer provides the same incentive to drive greater recycling, Packaging Recovery Notes can create significant cost volatility, while EPR has led to double charging businesses and adding costs for consumers.
“Rationalising the system would reduce unnecessary costs, support growth and create a simpler framework, while continuing to protect the environment and increase recycling. A review of legacy policies is needed to provide greater stability, simplicity and certainty.”
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