Budget 2017 – Chancellor to slap tax on single-use takeaway plastic as part of raft of new green measures
TAKEAWAY boxes and bubble wrap are to be taxed in an attempt to tackle the growing usage of single-use plastics as part of a raft of new green measures, the Chancellor announced today.
In the autumn budget Philip Hammond called for evidence into the use of everyday plastics and how a charge could help shrink the UK's waste.
He said: "I will investigate tax on single-use plastic because we cannot keep promises unless we ensure our planet has a future."
The government is hoping that it will prevent pollution into the world's oceans and protect the environment.
Earlier this week Treasury sources claimed the move would make the UK “a world leader” in the fight against the global problem of plastics pollution.
But it could hit shoppers’ pockets directly, as the Chancellor has not yet ruled out levying a charge on consumers as well as manufacturers in a repeat of the 5p plastic bag fee.
Mr Hammond also unveiled plans for tougher punishment for illegal waste sites who will be liable for Landfill tax.
There will be an extra £30 million funding for the Environment Agency over the next four years to tackle waste crime.
He also announced plans to investigate other ways the government could tax plastics, off the back of the success of the 5p plastic bag.
Mr Hammond’s action comes after BBC TV series Blue Planet II repeatedly highlighted how terribly polluted the world’s seas have become.
In one upcoming show narrated by David Attenborough, viewers will see a moving scene of a baby albatross dying after being fed plastic by mistake from its mother.
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More than a million birds and 100,000 sea mammals and turtles die every year from eating and getting tangled in plastic waste.
The amount of marine litter is increasing so much that floating continents have formed on oceans. Campaigners also claim 12 million tonnes of plastic enter the marine environment every year.
And in the UK alone, the amount of single-use plastic wasted every year would fill 1,000 Royal Albert Halls.
Environment campaigners welcomed the move, dubbing it “hopefully the beginning of the end for single-use plastic”.
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Greenpeace UK’s Oceans Campaigner Tisha Brown said: “For half a century we’ve been using an almost indestructible material to make single-use, disposable products.
“This was bound to lead to problems, and we’re starting to discover how big those problems are.
“The Treasury’s announcement is only a statement of intent, but it recognises the significance of the problem and the urgent need for a solution.”
Environment Secretary Michael Gove last month also announced plans for a deposit return scheme for drinks containers.
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