Food and drink boss slams government plans to tackle packaging waste
13 April, 2023
The new regulations could see food prices rise for consumers, as businesses are forced to assume all costs for recycling the packaging waste they produce
A government policy proposal that could see food prices rise for consumers has been slammed by food and drink chiefs.
Updated rules around “extended producer responsibility” will aim to address the growing problem of packaging waste – by shifting the cost of recycling this waste from local authorities, to the businesses that produce it.
Currently, the cost of collection, sorting, and treatment of packaging waste in the UK is spread across the supply chain, from manufacturers and suppliers of the packaging, to the businesses that sell it. However, the new regulations will see all businesses charged in the same way – with EPR levying 100 percent of the responsibility for these costs onto the businesses that produce it.
And President of the Food and Drink Federation, Paul Freeston, argues that this is “patently unfair” – as it will force already sustainable companies to pay twice under the new system.
Furthermore, these costs will often be passed on to consumers in the form of higher pricing of many food items.
Paul Freeston, who is also CEO and chair of apetito UK and North America, said: “We fully support the principles of EPR – responsible use of plastic is the right way to do business.
“However, government has announced that it will simply not consider closed-loop systems for at least a year after EPR commences – failing to account for the fact that the most responsible businesses have invested significantly in future-looking systems that improve rates of re-use and recycling.
“And even when they do come to consider closed-loop, they have suggested that they will only make allowances for materials that are not “commonly collected” – even if the closed-loop system (such as our own) generates far better results.
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Source: www.walesonline.co.uk