Campaigns for a deposit return system on plastic drinks botttles, a call for takeaway containers to be compostable and a Commons inquiry into disposable coffee cups -- there are mounting signs that food packaging needs to change.
Sustain member the Marine Conservation Society is currently running campaigns in Wales and Scotland on single-use food containers. They aim to persuade the legislatures to introduce a deposit return system (DRS) for plastic bottles, to discourage people from simply chucking them away wherever they happen to be. The Welsh petition also includes the welcome proposal that all takeaway containers and utensils should be compostable. You can find the petitions here.
The campaign has attracted support from another Sustain member, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, which has published a blog here on deposit return systems, and the secret Coca-Cola memo vowing to 'fight back' against deposit schemes. (After the memo was leaked, Coke changed its mind and said it thought the scheme under consideration in Scotland would work well.) CPRE estimates that a DRS scheme could lead to a 90% return rate in the UK.
And last but not least, the parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee has now launched an inquiry into plastic bottle and coffee cup waste, looking for ways in which it might be reduced and avoided. You can make a submission or follow the inquiry's progress here.
Sustain campaigns for a healthier, greener and fairer food system. Find more about our activities here.
Published Friday 10 March 2017
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
