Sarah Champion MP Urges Government Rethink to Protect Jobs in Rotherham
Sarah Champion, Member of Parliament for Rotherham, will urge the Government to rethink its approach to recycling charges in order to protect jobs in Rotherham.
Sarah will lead a Parliamentary debate on the impact of Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on UK packaging manufacturers on Wednesday, 1st July. EPR is a fee charged to packaging manufacturers to hold them accountable for costs of managing packaging waste throughout its lifecycle.
While the policy is intended to support local authorities with the costs of recycling, concerns have been raised that it will cause serious harm to UK businesses and will encourage switching to less recyclable, more environmentally harmful products.
During her speech, Sarah will highlight in particular the impact upon the UK glass industry. As a comparatively heavy material, and as fees are calculated by weight, glass faces significantly higher EPR costs than alternative packaging options.
Speaking during the debate, Sarah will say: “We all support the principle behind the policy, that those placing packaging on the market should pay towards its collection. But the weight-based fee structure utilised by EPR disproportionately penalises glass, making it significantly more expensive per unit than lighter, less sustainable alternatives.’
‘The inescapable fact is that a glass jar is heavier than a plastic one. By basing fees on weight rather than on units, businesses are being pushed towards switching to cheaper, less recyclable, more environmentally harmful packaging choices.”
Commenting, Sarah said:
“The aims of EPR may be laudable, but its design and implementation has been a catalogue of errors. It is wholly unworkable and ultimately counter-productive in its current form.’
‘As it stands, EPR will be bad for business, bad for growth and bad for the environment. Worst of all, it could place jobs in Rotherham at risk.’
‘It cannot be right that a plastic bottle should be a more cost-effective packaging choice than an infinitely recyclable glass bottle as a direct result of a government policy designed to encourage sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging choices.’
‘From manufacturers themselves, from brewers, pubs and from businesses across a range of sectors, I am hearing the same message. This is a poorly designed policy, poorly implemented, and it will cost the economy dearly. The Government should urgently rethink its approach if it is to avoid catastrophic damage to UK industry.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Rotherham houses a number of packaging manufacturers, including Beatson Clarke, a glass manufacturer, and Graphic Packaging International, which produces a range of packaging products.