In The News: New Government Scheme Forces Businesses to Pay for Their Waste Disposal.

Currently, in the UK, taxpayers are responsible for paying 90% of the cost to process packaging waste, with supermarkets and larger corporations only paying 10% of the £1 billion in costs per year. However, it has recently been announced that this is set to be significantly different over the next few years. 

The government has taken a larger look at the overall impact waste disposal has on our environment and begun to make changes representative of what needs to be achieved to improve it. A new scheme is to be introduced in 2023 that will see businesses told to pay the full cost of collecting and recycling their packaging. It will also force them to pay higher fees if the packaging is difficult to recycle or dispose of. 

The New Scheme 

The idea behind the scheme is to encourage larger businesses to use an alternate, more easily recycled packaging methods to work towards a stronger UK recycling market and reduce the threat to our planet. 

Alongside the above, the new strategy also tackles plastic pollution and food waste by aiming to: 

• Introduce a tax on single-use plastic with less than 30% recycled content  
• Consider banning plastic packaging where there are alternatives 
• Legislate to allow the government to specify a core set of materials to be collected by all local authorities and waste operators 
• Commit to deposit return scheme for bottles and cans 

• Ensure all households get food waste collections 

This move represents the first update of the government’s waste strategy in over 10 years and comes when we need it the most. In the last 5 years, the concern for plastic pollution and the impact of food waste has grown rapidly, with many landfills becoming overfilled. 

Public Criticism 

However, there is some criticism toward the scheme, mainly surrounding the length of time it is taking to implement. With environmental health such a prominent problem, it begs the question, why is it taking so long to implement? 

The plastic bottle deposit return scheme was promised in 2018 but now won’t be ready for another few years. Environmental Audit Committee chair and Labour MP Mary Creagh said: “Textile waste piling up in landfill won’t be tackled until even later. With scientists warning we have just 12 years to tackle climate change, this strategy is too little, too slowly” 

How Baco-Compak Can Help 

You may have read our recent article about how proper and effective recycling can help your business impact on the environment.  

With that and the above in mind, it’s important to stay ahead of the changes and let your business lead by example. Just because the scheme isn’t yet in play, there’s nothing to stop you acting to get the wheels in motion. 

Baco Compak can effectively help you remove your business waste and dispose of it in an environmentally friendly way at a cost that doesn’t break the bank.  

We offer a range of waste disposal solutions dependant on the needs of your business. If you are looking to dispose of your waste in a cost-effective, environmentally friendly way, we want to help you. 

We work with businesses within Kings Lynn and a 30-mile radius.  

For more information, get in touch with us today to discuss further.