UK-based waste management company BusinessWaste.co.uk has said that the implementation of a levy on businesses that use non-biodegradable materials in either their packaging or products would help to fund better recycling practices.
Business Waste argues that such a levy would likely be passed on to consumers, which, in turn, would reduce demand for these products, as well as encourage firms to seek out alternative, environmentally friendly materials not covered by the levy.
'By incentivising research and development into biodegradable materials – as companies seek to avoid the prohibitive cost of plastics – would ultimately reduce pollution and the amount of waste going to landfill,' the group noted.
More Recycling
Business Waste suggests that money raised by the tax could be used to fund recycling plants across the UK, to ensure that the country is equipped to deal with increased recycling demands.
“There are already measures in place which are meant to place responsibility on manufacturers and retailers – a concept called 'product stewardship',” said Mark Hall, a spokesperson for BusinessWaste.co.uk, “but these measures are clearly not working, as millions of tonnes of plastic and other non-biodegradable items are still being churned out every year.
“The time is over for endless meetings and conversations about the devastating effects of waste on our environment. Governments need to take action and force businesses to take their responsibilities more seriously. A tax being imposed would mean businesses could no longer overlook their environmental effects in favour of profit,” added Hall.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
