Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reinvesting a proportion of the revenues of the Plastics Packaging Tax into plastics recycling infrastructure.

The government introduced a Plastic Packaging Tax with the aim of encouraging the use of recycled plastic in plastic packaging and in-turn stimulating increased levels of recycling and collection of plastic waste. As set out at Budget 2018, when the tax was first announced, future revenues raised from the Plastic Packaging Tax and the Packaging Producer Responsibility reforms will enable investment to address single-use plastics, waste and litter.

The above reforms will collectively drive higher rates of recycling and demand for recycled plastics, creating a positive environment for private investment in additional plastics recycling infrastructure.