What discussions is the Welsh Government having with manufacturers and larger supermarkets towards improving or changing plastics, including containers and packaging, to recyclable products?
As a key part of the joint work to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility reforms for packaging and a Deposit Return Scheme for drink containers, we are engaging those who will be impacted by the reforms, particularly producers and users of packaging.
This includes stakeholder events to help inform policy and implementation; collaborative projects to look at technical elements of the reforms; fortnightly Business Readiness Forums to update producers and help them to prepare for these changes; and engagement via trade associations, such as the British and Welsh Retail Consortiums, the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment, British Glass and Alupro, as well as with supermarkets.
The Welsh Government also supports the UK Plastics Pact, which brings together businesses, governments, and NGOs to eliminate problematic plastics, reduce the total amount of packaging on supermarket shelves and change the way plastics are designed, produced, used, reused, and disposed.