Tackling single-use plastic packaging is an opportunity for businesses and manufacturers
For too long, piece-meal plastic bans have become the backbone of government’s environmental policy towards this pollutant that has become a scourge on our environment. However, the next five years present a real opportunity to take decisive action that empowers businesses and manufacturers whilst benefitting the end consumer.
Single-use plastic packaging accounts for nearly 70 percent of the UK’s plastic waste, causing local authorities to spend millions on collection, sorting, and waste management for a product only used once, plus the £1 billion spent per year dealing with littering.
Plastic bans are useful at tackling high levels of certain litter at the source, ridding beaches, the countryside and our streets of persistent plastics. However, without incentives for businesses and manufactures to transition away from all single-use packaging, government intervention is necessary.
Legally binding reusable packaging targets would expedite this transition for industry whilst tackling a large waste management expense. Integrating targets within the existing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework would also reduce costs for businesses from paying the EPR fee, offsetting costs from the initial transition. Furthermore, EPR fees can help finance effective reuse systems and incentivise manufacturers to design for reuse in mind.
Meanwhile, manufacturers can pivot by investing in the production of durable, reusable packaging solutions, which can open new revenue streams. By diversifying product lines and offering services such as packaging maintenance, cleaning, and repair, manufacturers can create value-added opportunities.
Embracing circular economy principles will not only mitigate losses but also position manufacturers as leaders in the growing market for sustainable packaging solutions.
Many retailers and businesses are increasingly turning to reuse and refill packaging trials that encourage consumers to return their packaging after use or ask consumers to bring their own containers to dispense goods. These trials are happening both in store and online, making reusable packaging accessible across sectors and for different shopping methods.
This has acted as an opportunity for specialist reuseable packaging developers to fill a gap in the market. Just one example is the emergence of returnable packaging platforms which offers businesses the opportunity lease returnable packaging and manage the logistics of colleting, cleaning and refilling.
In France, legislation was passed in 2021 to promote refill and reuse in mainstream supermarkets as part of their environmental protection measures. By 2030, all retailers exceeding 400m2 must dedicate 20 per cent of their floor space to refill systems.
A YouGov survey showed that 74 per cent of shoppers surveyed in France had bought products in refill and over half of these purchases took place in supermarkets across the country, with consumers adopting these habits in their weekly shop.
Time again research has shown that consumers aren’t the block to progress. Recent polling by Bristol- based environmental charity City to Sea found 77 percent of Britons want to see brands and retailers offer more refill and reusable packaging options. With consumers on board, and the solutions for retailers and manufacturers already underway, offering new opportunities and an emerging market for packaging specialists.
This leaves the final cornerstone of change: government action. With a goal to be zero-waste by 2050, Labour must commit to tackling plastic pollution through succinct policy measures that stop waste at the source, including legally binding reusable packaging targets.
Our beaches and streets can be rid of plastic, but our resolve must be as durable as the materials we seek to replace. Without bold, systemic action, our waterways, our soils, our wildlife, and ultimately our health will suffer irreparable harm.
Jane Martin is CEO of City to Sea, a leading environmental charity working to tackle plastic pollution at source.
