This month the British Plastics Federation (BPF) has published a document entitled ‘Plastics: A Vision for a Circular Economy’ which outlines a number of moves aimed to improve the environment for the next generation. Within the plan are several new initiatives, including making 100% of plastic packaging either recycled, reused or recovered by 2030, resulting in zero plastic packaging going to landfill.
The BPF also wants to see a decrease in the amount of plastic from the UK ending up in the sea. A Marine Litter Platform, consisting of the plastics industry supply chain, recycling and waste management specialists and academic researchers has been established in order to develop a plan to minimise the amount of plastic entering the water.
The Director General of the BPF has spoken about the vision of the organisation stating: “Our ambition is to agree upon industry-standard traffic light systems and best practice design tools that can be used by manufacturers to advice brands and retailers on the recyclability and sustainability of their products. As an industry, we will also continue to invest in innovation so that we can realise our vision to see 100% of plastic packaging reused, recycled or recovered.”
Items which will also be included in future initiatives to tackle plastic waste include those used in the food and drink industry such as plastic cutlery and straws. Encouragingly, some coffee companies have already started implementing initiatives to reduce packaging waste, for example by charging customers less for using their own cups rather than disposable ones with plastic lids.
Acumen are a leading provider of waste management solutions and industrial site services. We also provide a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week emergency response service to help clients deal with environmental incidents and spillages. For more information or to discuss your site needs with one of our experienced team, please contact us at our head office on 0800 118 2165.
