Labour’s election triumph: How can the new UK government build a circular packaging economy?

09 Jul 2024 --- The UK packaging industry is calling for investments and legislative support for material circularity from the country’s newly elected Labour government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. 

For years, the UK has been subjected to a “distinct lack” of ambition and delay from the Conservatives, while the EU has pulled ahead, Sian Sutherland, co-founder of advocacy group A Plastic Planet, tells Packaging Insights. 

Although it is too early to say precisely what the incoming administration will do, British Plastics Federation (BPF) director general Philip Law tells us it is crucial that packaging materials’ circularity is improved. 

“We would particularly like the incoming government to invest money raised by the Plastics Packaging Tax in improving the UK’s plastics recycling infrastructure so that more of the plastic material we use could be reprocessed here.”

Meanwhile, Sutherland is “hopeful” that the new Labour government will reflect on the last decades and take note of how not to protect the planet and its people. 

“Policy isn’t a tool to give environmental campaigners a scrap of hope with menial bans on certain items — it’s essential to provide business with the certainty and incentives to transition to a sustainable model of business.” 

BPF is calling for a single-use packaging ban for all materials.Innovation support, mass balance methodology 
Transitioning to a world free from toxic plastics is an opportunity for economic growth, and it should be seen as unavoidable, says Sutherland.

Furthermore, many British businesses are creating natural alternatives to plastic or innovative refill systems. 

“These are the companies that should be supported with government subsidies, not big oil. Policy should safeguard against the biggest polluters running riot over the planet and trampling over the health of our planet and ecosystems.”

Sutherland says that the steps to fight plastic pollution are clear for Labour: “Implement comprehensive bans on non-essential single use plastic items, enforce plastic production limits over a defined timeframe, ensure the chemicals used in any product sold to consumers are safe, foster systems of reuse over throwaway consumption that uses recycling as a shield, invest in truly natural alternatives to plastic and listen to the scientists.”

But Law tells Packaging Insights that BPF not only supports a ban on single-use plastic packaging but across all single-use materials.

“Switching to alternative materials can increase GHG emissions significantly, various studies have found. It is, however, important that the plastic materials we use are optimally used and recycled, wherever possible.”

“For that reason, we would like to see mass balance methodology accepted so that chemically recycled material can be included within the scope of the Plastic Packaging Tax,” he adds. 

Law believes this will allow chemical recycling technologies to develop, which can “complement the existing mechanical recycling technology, meaning much more plastic material ultimately ends up recycled and kept in functional use for longer.” 

Putting diplomacy to useThe new PM has the chance to revitalize British diplomacy and advocate for a comprehensive Global Plastic Treaty.
Comprehensive legislation that takes a long-term vision instead of short-term tokenism is the only way to fight plastic pollution, asserts Sutherland.

“Science must inform legislation that provides certainty to business and signals that single-use plastic will no longer be the norm — crucially putting in place a level of accountability for the biggest polluters intent on disrupting change.”

Sutherland says that on the international stage, with the final round of negotiations for a UN Global Plastics Treaty in November, the Prime Minister has a “clear opportunity to revitalize British diplomacy in advocating for a comprehensive global treaty informed by science.” 

“World leaders have been silent on the treaty and the issue of plastic pollution at all, all the while big oil is winning the battle in ring fencing their plastic profits. If Labour wishes to make a mark in environmental policy and put Britain back on the global stage, I can’t think of a better opportunity than the UN Global Plastics Treaty.”

A lack of common sense? 
The UK’s Conservative government “failed” to acknowledge plastic pollution during its time in office, says Sutherland. 

“We’ve had piecemeal bans on a select number of single-use plastics such as plastic cotton buds, wet wipes or straws in what many see as a box-ticking form of regulation.” 

The UK’s Conservative government “failed” to acknowledge plastic pollution, says Sutherland.In 2023, 86% of respondents to a government consultation on commonly littered single-use plastic supported options to ban plastic sachets after the A Plastic Planet “Sack the Sachet” campaign, “and yet they are still found in the country.” 

“This is just one example of how the Conservatives failed to act when there was an open goal for a win in the fight against pollution.” 

Furthermore, Sutherland highlights the UK’s “Deposit Return Scheme saga.” 

“While our neighbors in the EU have been operating this relatively simple form of ‘waste management’ for decades, the UK hasn’t even been able to publish draft regulations to implement such a scheme.”

“Even if we get a DRS within the next few years, the tide of plastic will inevitably still mount higher, and its impact will become greater and greater.”

Sutherland asserts: “The lack of effective policy has stemmed from an inability to take hard facts on the environmental crisis we face and take action.”

“In the later years of the Conservative reign, there was even a slide toward the populist form of climate denial that scoffed at the fact our planet will slowly cease to function unless we take hard steps to alter our relationship with the natural world.”

“It is not even a lack of vision that was the root cause of the years of failure for the environment, but a lack of common sense. Politicians around the world must realize there is no choice but to address not only the plastic crisis but the planetary crisis writ large,” she says.

By Natalie Schwertheim