THE UK Government is set to introduce a new packaging producer responsibility system, where the ‘polluter pays’ for the cost of recycling.
Following a consultation which was jointly undertaken by the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments, final proposals on the issue will be released sometime next year.
What is clear is that the government insists that producers must do more at the ‘end of life’ of their products.
The Department for Environment said that if producers are forced to deal with the cost of their packaging waste then it should “incentivise recyclability” in what they design.
“At the moment, producers currently only pay about 10% of these costs. We will make them responsible for 100%.
“We intend to introduce an extended producer responsibility scheme for packaging in 2023.”
While waste policy is a devolved issue, the UK Government said that the packaging producer responsibility system has operated on a UK-wide basis since its introduction in 1997.
It said its new producer responsibility system was “directly linked” to the introduction of DRS in Scotland, and it would ensure that its proposals formed a “cohesive package of measures.”
