Recycling rules could change under plan to curb excessive packaging of products

Résumé détaillé

EXCLUSIVE: Emma Hardy has vowed to look at reforming recycling fees for businesses to curb excessive packaging of products that drive people 'around the bend'

Emma Hardy has vowed to look at reforming recycling fees for businesses to curb excessive packaging of products that drive people “around the bend”.

In a victory for The Mirror, the environment minister this week announced that pubs, restaurants and hospitality venues will no longer be charged extra fees for disposing of glass bottles.

The changes to the Extended Producer Responsibility fees from April 2027 could save pubs up to £870 a year on packaging costs. The Mirror is campaigning to save Britain's local boozers.

But businesses have urged ministers to go further, including reassessing the plastic packaging tax amid questions about whether it is actually curbing plastic use. Just one in five businesses have reduced their plastic packaging since the tax was introduced in 2022, while two-thirds reported no change, polling by the Government showed earlier this month.

There are currently various schemes that try to incentivise businesses to use more environmentally friendly packaging methods.

Ms Hardy said "all the different schemes" should be reviewed to find out what is and isn't working. She said her fundamental aim is ensuring less packaging is used in the supply chain, and that where it is, more recyclable materials are chosen.

She told The Mirror: "I think one of the things that people, your readers, will absolutely recognise is when you buy something and it's got a massive box, and as you sort of open it and get down to it, it's got a tiny little item in the middle of this huge packaging.

"So these are the kind of things that drive people around the bend because then they've got a lot more they need to throw away into their own household bins.”

Asked if she wants to do more to reform packaging rules, Ms Hardy continued: "Absolutely. We want to hear from businesses. We want to know how we can make fees simpler and fairer, how we can make sure that people are paying less for packaging that's easier to recycle.

Début de l'article, extrait de Daily Mirror. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.