Research by YouGov, conducted on behalf of the environmental solutions company Veolia, has suggested that 77% of British retail and manufacturing businesses surveyed are still unaware of the impending Plastic Packaging Tax.
According to Veolia, if all packaging in the UK had 30% recycled content it would save the equivalent of 2.89 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
The research focused on the views of British-based senior decision makers across retail and manufacturing businesses on the incoming tax.
The Plastic Packaging Tax places a £200 per tonne levy on producers or importers of plastic packaging if they do not include 30% recycled content. It is due to come into force from 1st April 2022.
The survey found that a fifth (22%) of the businesses asked had already opted for recycled content in their packaging. The majority of businesses also support an escalator in percentage of recycled content threshold (63%) and cost charge (50%) as an incentive to use recycled content.
Amongst other findings, the survey found that of the business who had made changes to their plastic packaging:
- Two thirds (66%) have reduced the amount of unnecessary or avoidable plastic packaging
- Over half (58%) now use recycled content
- 54% have changed the packaging design to make it more recyclable
- 39% have chosen alternative materials to plastic for their packaging.
