Plastic tax ‘should not punish compostables’
The British public wants to get rid of plastic packaging on their food and have compostable packaging instead, a poll has revealed.
The survey also found that most (83%) are supportive of a tax on plastic packaging to curb plastic waste. It found strong public support for compostable packaging as a sustainable alternative to traditional plastic packaging.
The Yonder survey of 2,085 UK adults, commissioned by compostable materials producer TIPA, comes ahead of Government plans to roll out a Plastic Packaging Tax next year.
The poll shows strong support for the tax in principle – yet many campaigners and members of the public have expressed concerns that the proposed tax does not make allowances for compostable packaging solutions.
Currently the tax incorporates compostable packaging as if it were traditional polluting plastic. This differs from many other countries, such as Italy, Ireland and Japan, which have enacted policies promoting compostable materials.
Industry leaders, politicians and campaigners argue that including compostable packaging in the same tax category as traditional plastic undermines the purpose of compostable materials, which they say is a waste-free solution to the plastic crisis.
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