Environmental Audit Committee of UK parliament demands nation-wide plastic bottle deposit return scheme, more access to free drinking water, increased packaging producer responsibility, and 50% recycled content in plastic bottles
UK announces actions to reduce plastic waste
UK’s prime minister calls for plastic bag charge in all UK shops, plastic-free supermarket aisles, tax on single-use plastic items, funding for plastics innovation and aid for developing nations
UK: Most plastic food packaging unrecyclable
UK Local Government Association finds only one third of collected plastic food packaging is recyclable, calls for better packaging design, ban on low-grade plastics, greater contribution of producers to cost of collection and disposal
UK public consultation on food strategy
Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs calls for evidence to support development of National Food Strategy; plans for ‘radical shake-up of the UK’s food industry’; consultation open online until October 25, 2019
£7 million for innovative UK plastic supply chain projects
Innovate UK seeks applications from UK businesses, institutions, charities, etc. to fund ambitious projects addressing UK Plastic Pact targets; project foci include: minimization/reduction of plastic packaging, food grade recycled polypropylene and polyethylene, and packaging suitable for reuse, refill; application open until September 8, 2021
Petition calls for UK version of single use plastics directive
More than 110,000 UK citizens sign petition asking government to create UK version of EU’s Single Use Plastics Directive and effectively ban single use plastics; UK was included in the EU directive prior to Brexit
UK publishes report on bio-based FCMs
Report reviews published scientific and grey literature for existing materials marketed for food contact; expects current risk assessment methods to be appropriate or adaptable, notes limited existing research on materials made from agri-food by-products and their potential risks
Report on improving management of UK packaging waste
Researchers investigate current waste management system, identify long-term waste management contracts with local authorities as limiting improvements and innovation; recommend better distribution of value across system using extended producer responsibility, deposit schemes
Science-based proposals for reducing packaging and increasing recycling rates
Researchers investigate packaging use and recycling as well as improvement options; find globalization and time-deprived society to majorly drive food packaging use and recommend economic degrowth to reduce use; report 11% of Spain’s plastic waste efficiently recycled, well below official reports from waste management companies; emphasize need to change material and packaging design to reach circularity targets
Partnership to improve UK recycling
The organizations WRAP and OPRL to work together to reduce consumer confusion related to recycling, improve quality and quantity of recyclate in UK