The Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee has opened an inquiry the Environment Bill to help "ensure that we maintain and improve our environmental protections as we leave the EU". They are seeking written submission on multiple questions, including: “Does the Environment Bill meet the Government's commitment to non-regression from EU environmental standards? Does the Environment Bill meet the Government's commitment to non-regression from EU environmental standards?”
The Scottish Parliament Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee issued a call for written evidence to inform their scrutiny of the draft Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations which provide detail about what the deposit return scheme in Scotland will look like.
DEFRA want to know what you think about proposals to introduce a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This would include drinks containers such as:
The cost of the deposit would be added to the price of the drinks included in the scheme when they are purchased. This deposit would be redeemed when consumers return their empty drinks containers to a designated return point.
This consultation seeks views on measures to reduce the amount of unnecessary and difficult to recycle packaging and increase the amount of packaging that can and is recycled, through reforms to the packaging producer responsibility regulations. It also proposes that the full net costs of managing packaging waste are placed on those businesses who use packaging and who are best placed to influence its design. This is consistent with the polluter pays principle and the concept of extended producer responsibility.
The consultation outlines the government’s proposal for how the tax will work and contains a number of questions relating to this. For example, which packaging should be in scope of the tax, how to assess recycled content, and which businesses will be liable for the tax. The government is open to views on the best design options.
The Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs are seeking views on plans to make local authorities collect the same kind of materials for household recycling and on improving how businesses recycle in England.
The purpose of this consultation is to find out what you think about plans to extend the Single-use Carrier Bag Charge to all retailers. The Government also want to know what you think about increasing the minimum charge to 10p.
These changes will build on the success of the existing Single Use Carrier Bags charge in reducing the effect of plastic bags in the environment.
The purpose of this consultation is to gather views from stakeholders on the proposals to ban the distribution and/or sale of plastic straws, plastic - stemmed cotton buds and plastic drink stirrers in England. The proposed ban aims to further protect the environment from plastic pollution.
The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on the options for elements of a deposit return scheme on beverage containers. In 2017, the Scottish Government confirmed in their Programme for Government that they would introduce a deposit return scheme in Scotland.
