Producers not council tax payers should pay plastic bottle recycling costs says Deeside MP

Deeside MP Mark Tami is asking local schools and Flintshire County Council to join the fight against plastic and for producers, not council tax payers, to pay for recycling.

Mr Tami has launched a local campaign to encourage schools and the council to get tough on plastic in support for a proposed law to reduce plastic.

Currently 90% of the cost of plastic recycling is paid by local council taxpayers

The local MP is was among dozens supporting the new Plastics Bill presented by Geraint Davies MP which will ensure all plastic is recyclable by 2025 and would make producers pay for the cost of recycling.

Mark Tami said:

“It’s imperative that we reduce the production and use of plastics globally. The UK should lead the way in cutting out plastics from our communities and that is why I am firmly behind making the Plastics Bill into law.

“Locally we need to set an example by reducing our own plastic consumption in schools, at work and in the council and I’ll be lending a hand here as well as speaking up in Parliament.

Currently 90% of the cost of plastic recycling is paid by our local council taxpayers so I’m supporting the Plastics Bill so the producer pays instead. This will encourage producers to innovate and reduce plastic pollution

Geraint Davies, Swansea West MP, who has presented the Plastics Bill said:

“More than 200 schools across the UK have already signed up to the Plastic Free Schools programme run by Surfers Against Sewage so it’s great that Mark Tami is leading the charge in Alyn and Deeside.

“MPs from all parties across the UK support the Plastics Bill. We now know from the UN that as things stand there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by 2050. I also know, living in Swansea, how important it is to protect our beautiful coastlines

“Unless we agree the Plastics Bill, if the UK leaves the EU we risk falling behind Europe where all plastic will be recyclable by 2030. Instead, the Bill would give the UK global leadership to help save our marine environment and ecosystems by requiring that all plastics in UK are recyclable by 2025 instead of 2042 as currently proposed by the UK government.”

The Plastics Bill will require the Secretary of State to set, measure, enforce and report on targets for the elimination and recycling of plastic packaging.

The Bill will also ensure EU-targets are met beyond the UK’s departure from the European Union and charge polluters for the cost of recycling plastic.