The Office for the Internal Market (OIM), which is part of the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has initiated a study of the views on how businesses have responded to regulatory restrictions on single-use plastics.
This move aims to gather insights from various stakeholders, including small and medium-sized enterprises and others in the domestic supply chain on their experiences with regulatory changes concerning single-use plastics.
The OIM, which provides advice and expert analysis to the national government, is particularly interested in feedback on how businesses have adapted to these changes and the effects of discrepancies in the timing or substance of regulations on policymaking and innovation throughout the UK.
The study extends the findings of the OIM's recent annual report, which highlighted that supermarkets in the country generally adopt a 'UK-wide' approach to single-use plastic items such as cutlery, plates, and bowls to comply with trading rules across the UK.
OIM panel chair Murdoch MacLennan said: “We know that reducing our consumption of single-use plastics - from carrier bags used for the weekly shop to straws in our drinks - is important for the environment.
"We also know that the UK internal market for goods and services is worth £190bn [$244.38bn] a year and green issues are a top priority for consumers, so it’s in everyone’s interest to get the full picture on how national restrictions on single-use plastics are working.
"To help us build that picture, we’re inviting feedback from interested stakeholders, including businesses that have experience of regulatory changes related to single-use plastics. This will help us understand how effectively companies of all sizes are able to sell their products and services across the four nations of the UK.”
The OIM has set up a short online survey available on its single-use plastics project page, which will be open until 16 September 2024.
In addition to the survey, businesses and other interested parties can share their views via email.
