Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Plastic Pollution

Thursday 9 December 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • UK has banned plastic straws, stirrers, and cotton buds
  • Carrier bag sales in main supermarkets have dropped by 95%
  • Consultation is ongoing to ban single-use plastic plates and cutlery

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Tom Randall
Environment
Context

The issue of plastic pollution in the UK, including statistics on plastic waste production and initiatives by environmental groups.

Question

What steps he is taking to tackle plastic pollution. Each year, the UK produces 99 kg of plastic waste per person compared with 88 kg in South Korea and 81 kg in Germany. My constituents Amy and Ella Meek have set up the charity Kids Against Plastic to help raise awareness in schools.

Answer from Jo Churchill

We have banned plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds; carrier bag sales are down by 95% in main supermarkets, and we have extended our move on that issue to all businesses. We are consulting on banning single-use plastic plates and cutlery and exploring how we tackle the scourge of wet wipes, sachets and other items. The Environment Act 2021 gives us a framework for extended producer responsibility, deposit return schemes and greater consistency in recycling, to help drive down plastic waste.

Answered
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Q2 Tom Randall
Environment
Context

The UK's significant plastic waste production and the work of environmental charities like Kids Against Plastic.

Question

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for her answer. The UK produces 99 kg of plastic waste per person annually compared with 88 kg in South Korea and 81 kg in Germany. My constituents Amy and Ella Meek have set up the charity Kids Against Plastic to help raise awareness in schools, and I am due to speak with them on a panel later today. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is the responsibility of us all to reduce our plastic waste output?

Answer from Jo Churchill

Hear, hear—I agree absolutely and thank my hon. Friend for highlighting the excellent work of Amy and Ella Meek and their Kids Against Plastic charity. I wish my hon. Friend well on the panel this afternoon and congratulate them and others who are taking action against plastic and raising awareness in schools. It is the responsibility of us all to reduce, repair, reuse and recycle.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about agreeing that reducing plastic waste is everyone's responsibility was acknowledged but not explicitly committed to with concrete actions.

How: Hear, Hear

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