Brexit and its impact on the environment dominated the agenda at the Kit Strange Memorial lecture yesterday, as shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh criticised the government’s handling of the environmental impacts.
The Wakefield MP was speaking at the memorial lecture, which was chaired by her fellow Yorkshire MP Barry Sheerman, who was a close friend of Kit Strange.
Mary Creagh was speaking at the Kit Strange Memorial lecture yesterday
Mrs Creagh pointed to the November budget, where Phillip Hammond announced plans to investigate how the tax system and charges on single-use plastic items can reduce waste. As chair of the Environment Audit Committee, she says she has seen nothing materialise.
Following the announcement in the Budget last November, HM Treasury confirmed the government will launch “a call for evidence in early 2018 on how the tax system or charges could help to reduce the amount of single-use plastic waste”.
Mrs Creagh said: “The November budget was very exciting for plastics and got lots of nice headlines. However, the committee has found that the call for evidence hasn’t been launched. Three months later, the announcement of the tax or a call for evidence has simply not happened.”
Trade tariffs
Continuing with Brexit criticism, Mrs Creagh explained that she is “very proud” of the increasing recycling rates she puts down to being in the European Union. She added that if trade tariffs are added, on top of the falling price of some materials in light of the China restriction, the industry is facing difficult times.
The Sky documentary on plastics last month, which showed some recycled waste which was too contaminated to sort set for landfill abroad, highlighted the ongoing debate around PRNs. Many have suggested that currently the system favours exporters as it allows people to export lower quality material abroad (see letsrecycle.com story)
This was backed by Mrs Creagh, who stated that the government must look at PRN reform to enable a sustainable resource efficient economy. She said: “The government has to reform the system, the taxpayer picks up the bill for dealing with single-use plastics, which means businesses simply don’t have to worry about the issue. We think a reform of the system, particularly the export PRN system, is needed.”
Mrs Creagh specifically referred to mixed paper prices, which fell to between £25-£45 a tonne last month (See letsrecycle.com story), which she says were also reference as an indicator of how the market may further begin to struggle, particularly if there is an increase in trade tariffs once the UK leaves the EU.
The event was hosted by Resource Media, which also released its Hot 100 in waste. This was won by the chief executive of WasteAid, Mike Webster, who came seventh last year. Mrs Creagh dropped from top spot to fifth.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Plastic
