Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to (1) encourage the use of recycled and recyclable packaging, and (2) discourage the use plastic packaging that is difficult to recycle.

The Government has committed in its Resources and Waste Strategy to reform the current packaging producer responsibility system, including measures to incentivise producers to make better, more sustainable decisions at the design stage and point of manufacture.

At the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced a new tax on plastic packaging with less than 30% recycled content. Subject to consultation, this will be introduced in 2022.

Together, reform of the packaging producer responsibility system and the new tax on plastic packaging will encourage greater recyclability and increased use of recycled materials.