Results from a survey conducted last month revealed that 98% of UK members of parliament (MPs) from Westminster parties agree that compostable packaging could be part of the solution to the UK’s plastic crisis.
The survey was conducted last month by London-based market research agency Survation. It polled 100 of 650 MPs, 50% of whom were Conservatives, 32% Labour, and 11% SNP. Representatives from the Liberal Democrats, DUP, Sinn Féin and Plaid Cymru were also included.
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Almost all of those surveyed believe that compostable materials can help solve UK’s issues with plastic pollution, with 1% disagreeing and 1% replying that they did not know.
Results of the poll also revealed that 86% of MPs believe that the UK government should invest more in infrastructure to deal with compostable materials.
The poll results come at a time where many businesses are making the switch from plastic to compostable alternatives to combat plastic pollution. Not all businesses, however, believe that compostable materials are the answer.
UK-based grooming company Men-U founder Graham Fish told Packaging Gateway: “Plastic waste is not the only material harming the environment, but things like bioplastics from sugar cane are leading to deforestation in Brazil. Bioplastic, if it gets into landfill, has a high methane level. There are a number of issues that need to be clarified and I don’t see the answers coming from the industry.”
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By GlobalDataScotland-based circular economy specialist Reath Box co-founder Claire Rampen told Packaging Gateway: “While compostable packaging has great potential, it cannot be seen as a silver bullet solution. Access to composting infrastructure in the UK is not widespread. A WRAP 2019 report highlighted that only 51% of UK households have access to home composting facilities and the UK does not have an industrial composting facility in every region.
“A compostable packaging provider I spoke to estimates that only 5% of their packaging ends up composted, meaning 95% of it ends up in landfill, where it may never break down, or it could emit methane, a greenhouse gas that is 84 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Until we have the infrastructure to process compostable packaging, it is irresponsible to tout it as the perfect solution.”
A report released by UK-based think tank Green Alliance this week also claimed that the UK Government is focusing too much on making businesses switch materials and not enough on tackling the UK’s “throw-away habit”. The report highlighted that a poor infrastructure and waste system means that compostable packaging could be ineffective.
