Stuart Anderson MP has welcomed a £6.5 million boost for recycling services in Shropshire. It can be invested to improve infrastructure and collections for local communities.

The funding comes from the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging Scheme, which places the cost of managing packaging waste on those businesses that place packaged goods on the UK market.

England uses 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery and over 700 million single-use plates per year, but only 10 per cent are recycled.

As part of collection and packaging reforms initiated by the last government, businesses that use packaging in their products will now pay a fair share of recycling costs.

The funding has been made possible by the Environment Bill, which Stuart supported in the last Parliament. Stuart has said that the scheme will require products to be kept in circulation for longer.

In the Autumn Budget, the new government re-affirmed its commitment to these reforms. It will raise over £1 billion each year to improve recycling outcomes in local authority areas.

Stuart has said that the scheme will encourage businesses to think more carefully about how easy it is for consumers to recycle the packaging and use alternatives that are more easily recyclable, reusable, and refillable.

The cost will be higher for businesses that use more ‘hard to recycle‘ materials and less where packaging can be reused or refilled. It will encourage businesses to reduce the amount of packaging they use and design new products.

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said that the move will “revolutionise how we deal with our waste and ensure more of today’s rubbish is recycled into tomorrow’s packaging.”

Stuart has added that it will be important to ensure the reforms truly encourage businesses to minimise the volume of packaging in the first place, rather than relying on ‘end of life‘ solutions such as more carbon-intensive alternatives.

Stuart has welcomed the move as part of his plan to protect the countryside in South Shropshire. As part of this, Stuart is campaigning for funding and protections that sustain the natural environment for future generations. 

Previous reforms initiated by the last government has seen the use of single-use carrier bags in supermarkets reduce more than 98 per cent.

Stuart Anderson MP said:

“Protecting our countryside and natural environment in South Shropshire is a top priority of mine. I am pleased that Shropshire Council will receive more than £6.5 million to improve local recycling services, thanks to packaging reforms the last government initiated.

“It will move the full cost of dealing with packaging waste from residents and councils to businesses that handle and use packaging, applying the ‘polluter-pays’ principle.

“This will encourage businesses to package products in a way that is durable, repairable, and recyclable. In turn, it will help to create a more circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is minimised.”