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1694900

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Plastics: Pollution
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of levels of plastic pollution per capita in the UK; what steps his Department is taking to tackle those levels; and what plans he has to reduce plastic waste generation in the long-term.
	tabling member constituency	Preston
	tabling member printed	Sir Mark Hendrick
	uin	17796
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2024 answer text <p>We have banned the use of microbeads in rinse-off personal care products. Our single-use plastic carrier bag charge, now 10p, has reduced the number of such bags given out by the main supermarkets by over 98%. We brought in measures to restrict the supply of single-use plastic straws and single-use plastic stemmed cotton buds and ban the supply of plastic drink stirrers in 2020. In October 2023, we also banned the supply of single-use plastic plates, bowls, and trays to the end-user and banned the supply of single-use plastic cutlery and single-use plastic balloon sticks and expanded and foamed extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers, including cups. In April 2022, we brought in the Plastic Packaging Tax, a tax of £200 per tonne on plastic packaging manufactured in, or imported into the UK, that does not contain at least 30% recycled plastic. From April 2023, it has increased in line with inflation to £210.82/tonne.</p><p>Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) will make producers responsible for the costs of collecting and managing packaging they place on the market when it is no longer used and becomes waste. This will encourage businesses to think carefully about how much packaging they use, to design and use packaging that is easily recyclable, and to use reusable and refillable packaging. This will contribute to our goals of a more circular economy, in which resources are kept in use for longer, minimising the waste we create, and cutting carbon emissions.</p><p>As one of the founding members of the high ambition coalition of countries calling for an end to plastic pollution by 2040, the UK will do all we can to press for the agreement of a high ambition Treaty by the end of 2024.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 19/03/2024 15:21:45 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
	tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

1687745

	registered interest
	date	06/02/2024
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Plastics: Pollution
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle pre-production plastic pellet, nurdle, pollution in the marine environment.
	tabling member constituency	Isle of Wight
	tabling member printed	Bob Seely
	uin	13334
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2024 answer text <p>Tackling marine plastic pollution in all its forms is a priority for the UK Government, and we’re taking action domestically, regionally and internationally to address this issue.</p><p> </p><p>Our statutory UK Marine Strategy sets out a vision for UK waters to achieve clean, safe, healthy biologically diverse and productive seas, which are used sustainably. The UK Marine Strategy Part One set out our aim for the amount of litter on coastlines and in the marine environment to be declining over time and for levels to not pose a significant risk to the coastal and marine environment.</p><p> </p><p>In 2019, the British Irish Council Ministers recognised the need to address the loss of plastic pellets and supported the development of a Publicly Available Specification developed by the British Standards Institution. This Specification sets out requirements for the handling and management of plastic pellets, flakes and powders throughout the supply chain to prevent spills, leaks and loss to the environment, and was the first of its kind when published in July 2021. Details can be found on the BSI website: <a href="https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/plastic-pellets-flakes-and-powders-handling-and-management-throughout-the-supply-chain-to-prevent-their-leakage-to-the-environment-specification?version=standard" target="_blank">PAS 510:2021 | 31 Jul 2021 | BSI Knowledge (bsigroup.com).</a></p><p> </p><p>As a Contracting Party to the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, the UK develops and implements actions under the OSPAR Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter and has led an action on preventing plastic pellet loss in the supply chain. The action has resulted in the adoption of a Recommendation on minimum requirements for pellet loss certification schemes, to promote coherence in national approaches and drive improved standards throughout the supply chain.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is a leading voice in the negotiation of a new international treaty on plastic pollution and has called for binding provisions to reduce and prevent microplastic pollution from all sources. In particular, the UK has called for specific provisions to prevent and eliminate emissions and releases of plastic pellets, flakes and powders across the whole supply chain.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, the UK is contributing to discussions at the International Maritime Organisation regarding requirements for the shipping of plastic pellets. Recommendations on the carriage of plastic pellets by sea in freight containers are under development and are expected to be approved this year. The UK is pushing for action to be taken as soon as possible to reduce the incidence of plastic pellet spills at sea.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 20/02/2024 09:45:05 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
	tabling member	4681 label Biography information for Bob Seely

1328933

	registered interest
	date	27/05/2021
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Plastics: Pollution
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the level of plastic pollution in Newcastle.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne East
	tabling member printed	Mr Nicholas Brown
	uin	8553
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2021 answer text <p>The Government's 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our ambition to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. We are making great strides to tackle plastic pollution across the country, including in Newcastle. In December 2018 we published the Resources and Waste Strategy, which sets out how we want to achieve this and move towards a circular economy and keep resources in the system for as long as possible. In October 2020, we introduced measures to restrict the supply of plastic straws, plastic drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds. The single-use carrier bag charge, which has led to a 95% reduction in the use of single-use carrier bags by the main supermarkets, has been increased to 10p and extended to all retailers to further encourage customers to bring their own bags to carry shopping and reduce the volumes of single-use plastic being used.</p><p> </p><p>Our Environment Bill will enable us to significantly change the way that we manage our waste and take forward a number of the proposals from the Resources and Waste Strategy. The Bill will include powers to create Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes; introduce Deposit Return Schemes (DRS); establish greater consistency in the recycling system; better control the export of plastic waste; and give us the power to set new charges for other single-use plastic items. Our consultations on an EPR scheme for packaging and a DRS for drinks containers closed on 4 June and our consultation on our proposals for consistency in the recycling system in England is open for responses until 4 July. More details can be found at: <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fenvironment%2Fwaste-and-recycling&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cemma.pryor%40defra.gov.uk%7C3d8a238b32fa48fe0b5508d924e36f15%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C1%7C0%7C637581381512374882%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=QG6Yh%2BQIRbXs03Oky5ZiD0BzP6LkCTyPAtA5zzxHa4I%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/environment/waste-and-recycling</a></p><p> </p><p>Local councils, such as Newcastle City Council, are responsible for keeping their public land clear of litter and refuse. For any local litter issue, we recommend contacting the council to make sure it is aware of the problem. It is up to councils to decide how best to meet their statutory duty to keep their relevant land clear of litter and refuse.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has put together a package of over £100 million for research and innovation to tackle the issues that arise from plastic waste. £38 million has been set aside through the Plastics Research and Innovation Fund and the Resource Action Fund including £10 million specifically to pioneer innovative approaches to boosting recycling and reducing litter. The Government has also announced £60 million of funding through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, alongside a £150 million investment from industry, towards the development of smart, sustainable plastic packaging, which will aim to make the UK a world leader in sustainable packaging for consumer products.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 07/06/2021 13:34:39 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	523 label Biography information for Mr Nicholas Brown

1328932

	registered interest
	date	27/05/2021
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Plastics: Pollution
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of plastic pollution in waterways in Newcastle.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne East
	tabling member printed	Mr Nicholas Brown
	uin	8552
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2021 answer text <p>The Environment Agency has not conducted an assessment on the level of plastic pollution in waterways in Newcastle.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 07/06/2021 13:54:04 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	523 label Biography information for Mr Nicholas Brown

1145866

	registered interest
	date	25/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Plastics: Pollution
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to encourage (a) ports and (b) transport companies involved in the movement of plastic (i) pellets and (ii) nurdles to sign up to the British Plastics Federation’s industry-led scheme Operation Clean Sweep to reduce the loss of plastic pellets in transit.
	tabling member constituency	Dunfermline and West Fife
	tabling member printed	Douglas Chapman
	uin	290823
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/09/2019 answer text <p>UK ports are an important part of the pre-production plastic pellets supply chain. As such, we have welcomed the moves by PD Teesport and the Port of Felixstowe to sign up to Operation Clean Sweep and call for other UK ports to do the same. However, we must continue to engage all stages of the supply chain, such as manufacturing, logistics and processing, if we want to tackle the scourge of plastic pellet loss effectively. Collaboration with the British Plastics Federation is key to making this happen.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 30/09/2019 16:52:02 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4402 label Biography information for Douglas Chapman

1697193

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Plastics: Pollution
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether a Minister from his Department plans to attend the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, INC4, taking place in Ottawa, Canada, in April 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
	tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
	uin	19452
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/04/2024 answer text <p>At the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on plastic pollution the UK will be represented in the negotiations by a delegation of UK Government officials. A Defra Minister is also planning to attend high-level ministerial events immediately prior to the negotiations.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 04/04/2024 12:03:58 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1282978

	registered interest
	date	02/02/2021
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Plastics: Pollution
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to reduce the amount of plastic pollution in public parks.
	tabling member constituency	Sutton Coldfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Andrew Mitchell
	uin	147749
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2021 answer text <p>The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our ambition to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. We are making great strides to tackle plastic pollution. In December 2018 we published the Resources and Waste Strategy, which sets out how we want to achieve this and move towards a circular economy. We know more needs to be done, and for the most problematic plastics we are going faster, which is why we have committed to work towards all plastic packaging on the market being recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.</p><p> </p><p>We have made significant progress, by introducing one of the world’s toughest bans on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products and have significantly reduced the use of single-use carrier bags by the main supermarket retailers by 95% with our 5p charge. We have announced our plans to increase the minimum charge to 10p and to extend the charge to all retailers later this year. In October 2020, we introduced measures to restrict the supply of plastic straws, plastic drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds. We will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/ or materials to take a systematic approach to reducing the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products, including problematic packaging materials.</p><p> </p><p>As the hon. Member will be aware, it is an offence to drop litter (including in public parks), and councils have legal powers to take enforcement action against offenders. Anyone caught littering may be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court, which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500 on conviction.</p><p> </p><p>Instead of prosecuting, councils may decide to issue a fixed penalty (on-the-spot fine) of between £65 and £150.</p><p> </p><p>With regards to improving enforcement, we are seeking powers in the Environment Bill to ensure that enforcement powers are used with a high degree of professionalism, whether by council staff or private contractors, and to place our improved enforcement guidance on a firm statutory footing, giving those to which it applies a clear and explicit duty to have regard to it when exercising their enforcement functions.</p><p> </p><p>We also continue to campaign to raise awareness of littering issues in public spaces. Last summer, in response to Covid-19, Defra developed a ‘Respect the Outdoors’ campaign to encourage people to follow the Countryside Code and to highlight the impacts of littering. This was promoted both online and in locations across the country near to urban parks, beaches and national parks. We also supported, and provided funding for, Keep Britain Tidy’s Love Parks campaign, which encouraged people to treat our parks with respect.</p><p> </p><p>Preliminary evaluation of these campaigns indicated that they had a positive influence on the target audience’s intended disposal of PPE litter, with anecdotal reports from local authorities that the intervention resulted in a markedly beneficial outcome.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 10/02/2021 17:32:43 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	1211 label Biography information for Mr Andrew Mitchell

1278096

	registered interest
	date	19/01/2021
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Plastics: Pollution
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many instances of plastic pollution the Environment Agency identified in the last two years; and what assessment that agency made of whether such pollution posed a significant risk to the public.
	tabling member constituency	Stockport
	tabling member printed	Navendu Mishra
	uin	140303
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2021 answer text <p>The Environment Agency (EA) doesn’t currently collect data on instances of plastic pollution. The Environment Agency has a 7-point plan to reduce plastics in the environment and is working with stakeholders to reduce avoidable plastic waste and encourage a circular economy where possible.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 27/01/2021 17:23:10 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4811 label Biography information for Navendu Mishra

1313135

	registered interest
	date	11/05/2021
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Plastics: Pollution
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to (a) set targets for the reduction of plastic pollution, (b) publish a strategy and annual reports on plastic pollution reduction and (c) establish an advisory committee on plastic pollution.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
	uin	138
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2021 answer text <p>The Environment Bill requires the Government to set at least one long-term, legally binding target in four of the highest priority areas for environmental improvement, including Resource Efficiency and Waste Reduction. These targets will be set following a robust, evidence-led process that includes seeking independent expert advice, a role for stakeholders and the public, and approval from Parliament. We prefer to set a wider Resources and Waste target to ensure a holistic approach to all materials, not just plastics, to ensure we achieve the best environmental outcome.</p><p> </p><p>As to a strategy, annual reports and an advisory committee on plastic pollution reduction, the Government's 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our ambition to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042. In December 2018 we published the Resources and Waste Strategy, which sets out how we want to achieve this and move towards a circular economy, effectively providing a strategy for plastic pollution reduction. The Environment Bill will enable us to significantly change the way that we manage our waste and take forward a number of the proposals from the Resources and Waste Strategy. The Bill contains powers to create extended producer responsibility schemes; introduce deposit return schemes; establish greater consistency in the recycling system; better control the export of plastic waste; and give us the power to set new charges for other single-use plastic items. All these measures will effectively contribute to reducing plastic pollution.</p><p> </p><p>The Government are currently consulting on policy proposals for extended producer responsibility for packaging, a deposit return scheme and more consistency in recycling collections.</p><p> </p><p>We also support the UK Plastics Pact (UKPP), which produces an annual report on the progress to plastic waste reduction targets in 2025. The Pact is a collaborative initiative of over 120 business members, representing retail, manufacturing, hospitality, the plastic supply sector, plastic recycling and resource management.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 17/05/2021 15:36:22 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1564287

	registered interest
	date	06/01/2023
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Plastics: Pollution
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of sequins on the level of plastic pollution in England.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
	uin	117851
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2023 answer text <p>We recognise the environmental impact of the textiles industry, which is why we identified the sector as a priority for action in the Government’s 2018 Resources &amp; Waste Strategy for England. A key part of this strategy is working with industry to reduce their environmental impact. In 2021 we funded Textiles 2030, our new voluntary programme delivered by our partner WRAP, with signatories representing more than 62% of all clothing placed on the UK market. Through Textiles 2030, WRAP is working with members to drive circular design. A toolkit has been produced for members to support design and production teams to make decisions that reduce waste, increase longevity and support recyclability.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 18/01/2023 11:18:16 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones