BPF responds to LGA call for urgent action on 'Excessive Packaging'

The British Plastics Federation has responded to the Local Government Association’s call for supermarkets to take urgent action to reduce excessive packaging.

A new fact sheet “The Facts About Plastic Packaging” has today been published.

The BPF makes the following points in response to the LGA:

It’s in nobody’s interest to over package and our industry and the food retailers are looking at ways in which packaging can be reduced without causing decay or damage to the product.

We don’t accept there is a substantial “excessive packaging” problem. To feed 60 million people three safe, healthy meals a day is a 24 hour logistical operation from field to kitchen table. Plastic packaging plays a vital part keeping the food fresh and undamaged, and giving important nutritional information on the label.

A far more significant problem is food waste. Ten times more energy goes into the production of food or goods packaging contains compared to the packaging itself. In Western Europe food waste is some 3% compared to 40% in the developing world. This is, to a large extent, due to advanced plastics packaging. Where food waste does occur this will likely go into landfill and will generate methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas.

Peter Davis Director-General of the BPF said:

“Local Authorities are concerned about being fined for continuing to send 72% of our waste to landfill. They have to bite the bullet and build more local recycling banks and energy from waste plants.”

“The real reason behind the UK’s problems with waste lies with the local authority structure which prevents the development of economies of scale for waste management. We lag behind Europe with our over reliance of landfill and lack of energy from waste facilities for unrecyclable waste.”

The British Plastics Federation is the leading voice for the UK Plastics Industry, which has a sales turnover of £17 bn per annum and employs 190,00 people.

The BPF member companies account for 80% of turnover and employment and our membership includes: polymers and additives producers; distributors; converters; machinery and equipment manufacturers; recyclers.