The National Association of Waste Disposal Officers (NAWDO) has published a response to the consultation on the plastic packaging tax, encouraging the government to “consider the potential for other positive and much needed interventions”.
NAWDO is a network for senior waste managers with statutory responsibility for waste disposal
The response was published on 19 August, before the deadline closed the following day (see letsrecycle story).
The proposed tax on plastic packaging containing less than 30% recycled content has been earmarked come into force in April 2022 and will be set at £200 a tonne, subject to consultation.
In its response, NAWDO said: “The proposed tax signifies an important and most welcome change in approach from the Government. In a similar vein, NAWDO encourages the Government to consider the potential for other positive and much needed interventions in areas like furniture, mattresses and textiles.”
End Markets
NAWDO urged the government to ensure local authority collected material isn’t impacted
NAWDO described the plastic packaging tax as an “important step forward” in the government realising its role to play in helping create home grown markets for recyclable materials.
However, the Association also asked the government to consider ensuring that local authorities have more plastics to collect and recycle than those covered by either extended producer responsibility (EPR) or the proposed tax.
NAWDO added that it would also like to see the tax extended to all produce made from plastic, whether imported or UK based.
This follows concerns from the Association that the combined potential of EPR and any future deposit return schemes (DRS) local authorities are anticipating, will see a significant drop in value of the materials they collect. This would be the “opposite” of what is intended by the government’s Resources and Waste Strategy, according to NAWDO.
NAWDO added that the government’s proposals will only work if they are “underpinned by robust, effective, responsive and properly resourced regulation and enforcement frameworks”.
Registration
NAWDO reiterated its belief that all producers of plastic packaging should have to register with HM Treasury & Customs. It added it believe this is necessary in order for HMT to be able to effectively manage the tax.
In the response, NAWDO also urged the government to consider how to make the tax visible to end users and consumers of plastic packaging in both commercial and public facing consumer settings.
The Association said that this aligns fully with the desired changes in commercial and individual behaviour being targeted by the proposed changes to EPR as well as any future DRS.
“We urge the Government to be ready and sufficiently resourced to undertake a review of the tax 2-3 years after implementation”
NAWDO concluded that it believed the timeline for the tax puts the implementation “right in the middle of what potentially will be a period of very significant change in the waste and resources sector”.
NAWDO added: “We urge the Government to be ready and sufficiently resourced to undertake a review of the tax 2-3 years after implementation. This is to firstly ensure it is having the desired effect; secondly to see what possible synergies might be realised between management of tax and the frameworks that will be set up to manage EPR and DRS; and thirdly to look for other opportunities for similar approaches in other areas as discussed.”
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Source: letsrecycle.com Plastic
