April SDG Spotlight – #13 Climate Action

SDG 13 Graphic

Plastic Packaging Tax

 

In April 2022, the Government implemented a new plastic packaging tax (PPT) in order to combat the use of single plastic and to encourage greater reliance on recycled plastics. PPT will be payable on any plastic packaging that is produced or imported into the UK which does not contain at least 30% recycled plastic. The new tax is payable by the manufacturer or importer at a rate of £200 per metric tonne.

 

Any organisation that manufactures or imports more than 10 tonnes of plastic packaging over a 12-month period must register for PPT regardless of the amount of recycled plastic their packaging contains. However, PPT will only be paid if the plastic packaging does not contain at least 30% recycled plastic.

 

 

What does this mean for businesses?

 

The new PPT will mean that every business manufacturing or importing more than 10 tonnes of plastic packaging will now have to keep up with the recording keeping requirements, such as identifying and recording every single item of plastic packaging used to package goods imported into the UK and must consider compliance obligations in advance.

 

Plastic Packaging is used in a wide variety of sectors, meaning that PPT will have a broad impact, affecting retailers, manufactures, publishers, as well as other businesses.

 

How will PPT contribute to SDG 13-Climate Action?

 

PPT is an environmental tax designed to provide a financial incentive for businesses to use recycled plastic in the manufacture of plastic packaging. By implementing PPT firms will become more aware of the amount of unrecycled plastic packaging they use when packaging goods. By increasing awareness of this and by charging firms for their use of unrecycled plastic packaging more businesses are likely to take a step towards making a change and using more recycled packaging. This will not only save money for businesses but will make them a more sustainable and environmentally friendly company. PPT is designed to stimulate increased levels of recycling of plastic waste and divert it away from landfills or incineration, which will consequently reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere and work towards improving climate change.

 

As the new PPT is expected to have a broad impact on UK businesses, if every business that manufactures or imports more than 10 tonnes of plastic packaging was to make a small change towards using more recycled plastic, we would be a lot closer as a country to achieving SDG 13.

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