UK To Take the Lead for Resource Circulation by Introducing Plastic Packaging Tax

 

The COVID-19 outbreak put the world in the fear of pandemics and there have been various threats to nature such as fires in the US, Australia, and Canada, heavy rains and floods in Asia, and thawing in the poles. Every country started to acknowledge that these abnormal climates have been resulted from environmental pollution and to suggest alternatives and specific measures. Among them, the UK is recognized as one of the countries working hardest for the environment. This year, the country took a step ahead by introducing a new plastic packaging tax. Shall we find out more details about the UK’s environmental policy?

 

The Leading Country of the Environmental Policy

As the country to host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference in 2021, the UK is where has implemented many advanced environmental policies already resulting in remarkable changes. For example, the country announced to ban the sale of gasoline and diesel cars by 2035 and to eradicate the greenhouse gas by 2050, and set out the '25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment’ to protect the variety of wildlife and to recover the polluted ecosystem.

The UK especially applies stringent regulations on plastic waste that has been drastically increasing yearly.


In addition, the UK decided to introduce DRS (deposit-return scheme) on drink containers that are made of plastic, cans, and glass in cooperation with Wales and North Island. It is a part of the Resources and Waste Strategy launched in 2018 that the governments are discussing specific guidelines aiming to practice the system by 2023 and to achieve the return rates of over 90%.

 

Virgin Plastic Out! Recycling is Mandatory in the UK!

The UK did not stop here! In March of 2018, the government announced a new plastic packaging tax to reduce the environmental impact of the plastic packaging that hast been used about 2 million tons annually. Implemented in April of 2022, this new regulation applies to all the plastic products produced in or imported to England and charges the tax on the products with less than 30% of recycled contents.


The consultation will be held to discuss details about the subjects to be exempted, the specific products that the tax is applied to, the subject to register products at HMRC, and practical strategies to implement and charge, and etc.

 

Social Cost for Plastic Packaging Tax and Its Environmental Impact

Surely, it would generate some expenses to introduce the plastic packaging tax. The governmental organizations should develop the IT systems to manage the tax while the manufacturers and importers may need the finances to learn and educate the new legislations and to set up the reporting system.

However, the plastic packaging tax is expected to bring a very intensive and positive impact on the environment.

 


The manufacturers will try to make improvement for more environment-friendly materials and designs and the recycling industry will deliver advanced technology through job creation and infrastructure development.

 

The Resource Circulation Cycle Led by the Plastic Packaging Tax

First suggested in 2018, the plastic packaging tax was discussed with the consultation groups in February of 2019, and as a consequence, the details were announced this year. The British government grasped the situation fully with the help from the relevant industries, the experts and they are planning to have further consultation meetings for technical issues. The tax shows that the UK government is determined to take a leadership position and to take the social expense to complete the resource circulation.

In fact, their environment-friendly movement is deeply related to Korea. According to the Customs’ import and export trade statistics, the UK comes the 17th country for export and 18th for import. In terms of synthetic resin, especially, the item takes the 8th place among the trade items between these two countries that the introduction of the plastic packaging tax is expected to affect Korean industries greatly, too. In addition, the UK and the EU are likely to work together for the environment, which may affect the European markets as well. The relevant industries in Korea should alertly observe and learn these changes in the global markets and be prepared in advance. Not only should they produce the plastic items with over 30% of the recycled contents, they should note that it is important to apply the materials that meet the global standards for material and organic recyclability.

The war against plastic is now beginning again all over the world. The global standards for genuine environmentally friendly technology and products have been set up and each country is now preparing practical policies and systems by thorough discussion and evaluation with the industries. In order to slow down the lifetime of the earth, we all should realize that the cooperation of each country and industry is the only key.

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