House of Commons · Westminster Hall
25 October 2023 · 6 other contributors · 8,253 words
Opened by Caroline Ansell Con Eastbourne
Responding minister: Rebecca Pow
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Caroline Ansell raised concerns about government support for a circular economy in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
I ask for further clarity on the timeline for roll-out of the modulated fee structure in the extended producer responsibility scheme to ensure timely incentives for producers to deliver change to their packaging and more information on progress with the deposit return scheme for drinks containers.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
I am concerned about the risk that a focus on recycling may overshadow other processes such as reduction, reuse, refurbishment, re-manufacture and composting. The UK throws away 300,000 tonnes of electrical waste from households and businesses each year, making us the world's second largest annual contributor of e-waste at an average of 23.9 kg per person.
Andrew Selous emphasised the importance of transitioning from a linear to a circular economy, highlighting initiatives such as toy reuse and weekly food waste collections. He praised businesses for their efforts in reducing waste and mentioned that reusing resources can save households around £300 annually during the cost of living crisis. Andrew also supported the Government's commitment to mandatory recycling labels and digital waste tracking.
Mr Doogan highlighted that Angus recycles 54.7% of post-consumer waste, advocating for statutory responsibilities in food waste collection to improve recycling rates. He expressed frustration with the UK Government's interference in Scottish legislative initiatives related to a circular economy, particularly regarding a deposit return scheme (DRS). Mr Doogan stressed the importance of transitioning towards a circular economy to reduce energy consumption and climate emissions, criticizing Westminster's approach as undermining Scotland's environmental ambitions. The Conservative party's 2019 manifesto contained a commitment to Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), which included glass, but the target has now slipped to 2025. It is questionable whether they will be in government by then.
Jim Shannon praised the lead MP for setting a strong foundation and discussed Northern Ireland's draft circular economy strategy, noting that it imports and extracts 31.5 million tonnes of materials annually. He highlighted Ards and North Down Council's proactive recycling efforts but noted challenges in achieving further progress despite population growth.
She agreed that period pants are classified as a garment rather than a period product, and supported the campaign to change this VAT regime. She mentioned cross-departmental collaboration between DEFRA and DESNZ on issues like blade recyclability for wind turbines.
I am concerned about the lack of action on circular economics despite long discussions. There are enough unused cables in UK households to go around the world five times, with 20 unused electronic items per household. Manufacturers and retailers do little to address this issue, leading to a linear economy mindset. I visited the Greater Manchester Renewal Hub and local shop Remake in Newport West for reuse and repair initiatives. We need a proper circular economy action plan as we have a piecemeal system with low recycling figures.
Suggested that the tax system could be utilised more effectively to encourage behaviour related to reusable products. Highlighted the inconsistency in taxing period pants at 20% while other products are not taxed similarly.
Government Response
Rebecca PowI congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne on securing this debate, highlighting our commitment to a circular economy and natural capital preservation. The Minister outlined progress made since 2018 including bans on plastic microbeads, single-use plastics, and increasing carrier bag charges to reduce waste. Notable international efforts include support for Colombia's recycling initiatives and co-sponsoring the legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution by 2040. Domestic measures involve overhauling recycling and packaging waste with schemes like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The Minister emphasized alignment among these schemes, inter-operability with devolved nations, and engagement with businesses for effective implementation.