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<p>Our Resources and Waste Strategy, published in December last year, sets out approach
to eliminating avoidable plastic waste. We recognise, however, that plastics will
continue to play an important role, for example by helping to prevent food waste when
used in food packaging for certain foods. One reason plastics are useful is that they
are lightweight, which can have benefits in terms of the carbon emissions associated
with getting them to market. So we want to better understand the environmental trade-offs
associated with alternative materials. We set this out as an area of research in interest
in the Resources and Waste Strategy, and we welcome collaborations with industry and
academia in order to further explore it.</p><p> </p><p>We are also taking steps to
ensure new, innovative types of plastic really are more sustainable. As part of this,
the Government has confirmed, subject to matched funding from industry, that it is
prepared to invest up to £60 million through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund
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><p>
</p><p>We will also publish a call for evidence on standards for bio-based and biodegradable
plastics. The Government is concerned that, in the absence of accepted standards,
claims about the biodegradability of plastic-based products cannot be verified, possibly
leading to increased levels of consumption and greater environmental harm, in comparison
to conventional fossil-based plastics. The call for evidence will be published later
this year, and we welcome responses from the research community.</p>
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