Environmental Policy

Following on from the 2019 consultation, this consultation details specific policy proposals for increasing consistency in recycling collected from households, businesses and other organisations. 

The consultation seeks views on the Welsh Government’s proposals on regulating domestic burning as part of the Clean Air Plan for Wales: Healthy Air, Healthy Wales. Proposed actions in the consultation will reduce air pollution and support improvements in public health and our natural environment. The consultation prohibits the sale of wet wood and traditional/bituminous house coal, subject to consultation and aims to introduce the necessary legislation in 2021, with bans commencing during 2023.

Defra launched a consultation seeking views on plans to introduce an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging.

This will mean that packaging producers will pay the full cost of managing packaging once it becomes waste. This will encourage producers to use less packaging and use more recyclable materials, reducing the amount of hard to recycle packaging placed on the market.

The consultation looks at a number of keys areas, including:

DEFRA has launched a consulation on proposals to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The consulation seeks views on:

• how a deposit return scheme will operate
• scheme scope and design
• implementation timelines
• scheme enforcement

The consultation opens on 24^th March 2021. The consultation closes on 4 June 2021.

The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has published a call for evidence on the next steps for deposit returns schemes.

The Welsh Government have launched as consultation on Reducing single use plastic in Wales. The consultation is proposing the banning of seven single use plastic items including; plastic straws, cotton buds and plastic stirrers, similar to the ban in England which came into effect on 1^st October 2020.