BPF Press Release: PET Bottles

Media sensationalism and Government spin are a threat to the sound science fact base that guide the minimal use of packaging.

This is according to Peter Davis, director general of the British Plastics Federation (BPF), who was speaking at the Foodex/Meatex Show at the Birmingham NEC last week.

He branded Wrap’s recent study into the carbon impact of glass and PET bottles as a “dodgy dossier”. The study found that the carbon impact of 75cl glass and PET bottles was the same for bulk imported in tankers from Australia.

He argued: “Even allowing for the sample they chose, this dodgy dossier does stretch the boundaries of credulity and should be ignored.

Davis said that the study clearly showed PET has a huge advantage in terms of carbon impact. A PET water bottle weighs 43% less than 20 years ago said Davis, and 21% of the bottles were recycled in 2005, a percentage which is rising fast, he added.

The BPF head pointed out that the Wrap report found that a full truck loaded with empty PET wine bottles weighs 75% less than one loaded with empty glass bottles. Davis added that in the Wrap study 55% of glass bottles were imported empty from France while all the PET bottles were produced in the UK.

Davis also criticised the Daily Mail’s “sensationalist campaign against the plastic bag” and the papers plea to its readers to use its own branded canvas bags instead of alternatives.

He added that the prime minister and chancellor had jumped on the bandwagon calling for retailers to charge for the ‘single-use’ carrier bag. This is, he said, despite the fact that 70-80% of bags are reused and they account for only 0.05% of landfill and, by their own admission, have a minimal environmental impact.

The BBC’s Panorama programme was also condemned by the BPF boss for urging viewers to drink tap water rather than buying water bottled in PET, in order to cut out packaging.

Davis said: “They obviously dont spend much time in the Underground or in airport queues.”