January 14th 2023 marked the announcement of the ban on single-use plastics in England taking place in October 2023, providing businesses time to prepare. From October 2023, businesses will not be able to serve single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, polystyrene cups, and food containers to customers. However, this does not affect single-use plastic packaging for pre-packed shelf food as this will be implemented in the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme in 2024. This ban builds on previous schemes, such as the charge of plastic carrier bags in 2015 and the Plastic Packaging Tax in 2022. Over 95% of consultation respondents are in favour of the bans, with the need to reduce plastic pollution being just one step in the fight against climate change.
Another step in the fight against climate change is the application of the Deposit Return Scheme in 2025 for England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland and in August 2023 for Scotland.
Deposit Return Scheme (DRS)
The DRS is set to make it easier for consumers to recycle their plastic bottles to reduce plastic pollution and litter in the UK. Upon recycling, people will receive a small cash incentive for recycling their plastic bottles and drink cans using reverse vending machines. Hosts of these reverse vending machines will include retailers selling drinks covered by the scheme.
VAT is currently being discussed as being applied to the DRS, with certain rules being discussed about who should pay VAT and at what point they should pay VAT. Although there are concerns about the charge of VAT on the DRS damaging the public’s understanding of the DRS and creating a burden on the scheme.
Why is this being executed?
There are many factors as to why it is vital to reduce plastic pollution, with reducing greenhouse gases and climate change being more important than ever.
An increase has been seen in the amount of greenhouse gases emitted during the journey of single-use plastic, from creation and manufacturing to disposal. This is driving climate change and extreme weather conditions happening around the world. Between 2020 and 2021, the increase in greenhouse gas levels (such as carbon dioxide) has resulted in a larger growth rate than the average rate over the past decade (Gov.uk, World Meteorological Organisation).
It is estimated that between 75 to 199 million tonnes of plastic waste are currently polluting oceans, with approximately 15 million tonnes of plastic entering yearly (based on statistics from Recycle Track Systems). Plastic pollution takes hundreds of years to break down and inflicts damage across the environment, oceans, and wildlife.
So how does this affect you?
With the ban on single-use plastics, businesses using plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, and polystyrene cups and containers will be affected. Instead, businesses will need to use reusable and sustainable products rather than single-use plastics. Consumers will not be able to purchase any products made with single-use plastics from any business, including retailers, takeaways, food vendors, and the hospitality industry.
Alternatives to single-use plastics could include using biodegradable materials (such as bamboo or cardboard) or encouraging customers to bring their own cutlery and containers, and even offering a discount if they do! This is especially helpful with the changes to single-use plastics, as you may find a change in costs.
In 2025, the DRS will be implemented, and there will be an increase in reverse vending machines popping up in retail stores around the UK. With a few years before 2025, businesses should consider preparing for this scheme if it affects their business.
Reusables and Trackables - The New Way Forward
Reusable alternatives allow for multiple uses rather than being disposed of after one use. Using reusable alternatives means that you do not need to repeatedly purchase new packaging that will just be sent to landfills and oceans, saving money and the environment! You can even make your reusable packaging trackable. This means that you can see the reusable’s usage and journey throughout its use. For example, with Circulayo’s platform and technology, you can see how many times the reusable has been used and how much you have saved by scanning QR codes.
