Big Plastic Count

Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about the Big Plastic Count.

We need serious action on plastic pollution and single-use plastics. I also recognise the importance of taking the public with us, as without buy-in from the public, we are unlikely to achieve the change and progress our planet desperately needs.

I support the improvement of data collection in order to deliver evidence-based policies and better understand the end use of recycled material. I think a new end use register for recycled waste would achieve this. As you may know, the Government plans to introduce mandatory digital waste tracking across the UK in order to see what is happening to the waste we produce.

I know the campaign wants to see a target set to reduce single-use plastic by 50% by 2025 by switching to reusable packaging that meets everyone’s needs, a ban on dumping our waste on other countries, and the implementation of an all-in Deposit Return Scheme.

The Government currently aims to reduce all avoidable plastic waste to zero by 2042 and begin implementing Extended Producer Responsibility in 2024. This will mean that packaging producers will pay the full cost of managing packaging once it becomes waste, encouraging them to use less packaging and more recyclable materials.

I am concerned that the Government’s plan to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste is years behind schedule. I supported efforts to amend the Environment Act 2021 to allow charges against all single-use materials to tackle the throwaway economy and culture we have seen. I am also committed to increasing recycling rates and improving processes around them.

I think we should begin work to prohibit the exportation of waste consisting wholly or mostly of plastic and address the underlying drivers of the waste problem, and that the British people expects to see these exports banned.

I support an all-in deposit return scheme where drinks containers of all sizes and materials are included. This will achieve the best recycling return and will be the clearest for the public to use. A consultation took place on this last year and the Government has said that it will implement a deposit return scheme although not until 2025 at the earliest.

Thank you once again for contacting me.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP