| answer text |
<p>The Government’s priority is preventing plastic from entering the environment in
the first place, be that the freshwater, marine or terrestrial environment. The Resources
and Waste Strategy sets out our plans to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. This
encompasses all types of plastic, including microplastics, and we are already taking
action. We have banned plastic microbeads in rinse-off personal care products and
we will continue to invest in water purification.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has not made
an estimate of the amount of micro- and nano-plastics in food packaging in the UK.
It is difficult to do so, as this amount will vary based on the use and subsequent
treatment of the plastic. According to the latest industry data from the Waste and
Resources Action Programme, 2.36Mt of plastic packaging was placed on the market in
2017, of which 1.53Mt came from the consumer sector.</p><p> </p><p>Legislation on
plastics in contact with food or drink requires that they are produced under the provisions
for Good Manufacturing Practice, so that any adverse interactions with food are minimised.
This legislation is regularly updated to ensure the plastics that are authorised for
such use are safe.</p><p> </p><p>The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been monitoring
the scientific literature concerning the occurrence and effects of microplastics in
food. On the basis of current evidence, the FSA considers it is unlikely that the
presence of microplastic particles that have been reported to occur in certain types
of food would cause harm to consumers.</p><p> </p><p>The FSA will continue to monitor
and assess emerging information concerning microplastics in food, including further
consideration of this issue by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer
Products and the Environment later this year.</p><p> </p><p>We support Operation Clean
Sweep, an international initiative coordinated in the UK by the British Plastics Federation
which aims to reduce plastic pellet loss in the environment. In 2019, the British
Irish Council of Ministers recognised the need to address this source of microplastics
and committed to learn from a supply-chain approach in Scotland.</p><p> </p><p>Global
solutions are needed to address one of the most pressing environmental issues of our
time, which is why the UK has stepped up to this challenge and is leading the way
to end the scourge of plastic pollution that enters our waterways, rivers and, ultimately,
our ocean. The UK has committed to the G7 Ocean Plastics Charter, which aims to move
towards a more resource-efficient and sustainable approach to the management of plastics.
Having left the EU, the UK now has the opportunity to reprioritise and refresh our
environmental policy and can now focus on implementing measures which work best for
the UK.</p>
|
|
