The UK Packaging and Films Association, PAFA, has said that the Scottish Government’s recently released ‘Partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment’ on charges for shoppers using new carrier bags is flawed.
According to the UK representative body for the manufacture and conversion of plastics packaging films, the Assessment: “Fails to take into account the significant impact of reductions achieved through voluntary means, as well as the major likely effects on jobs at the 22 Scottish firms that supply carrier bags.”
PAFA chief executive Barry Turner says that the Impact Assessment admits there is ‘uncertainty over a number of estimates and assumptions’, yet it continues to advocate “punitive legislation” against what it calls “single use bags”. “More than 70% are actually re-used,” says Turner.
“[The Assessment] also agrees there will be ‘an increase in demand for bin liners and dog waste bags’ and ignores the 50% reduction in virgin polymer (for example through increasing recycled content) that the industry has achieved on a voluntary basis at no cost to the consumer.”
According to PAFA, its approximately 100 members, who manufacture and supply a wide range of flexible and rigid protective packaging, have “led the way in responsible and sustainable actions” to “dramatically reduce” the impacts of their own products.
“We are constantly innovating to create products that save food waste and prevent product damage, whilst at the same time reducing our carbon impacts at every stage,” says Turner.
Although carrier bags are said to be a small part of the flexible films and packaging industry, bag impacts have been “more than halved” voluntarily, says Turner.
“We now use less virgin material, far more recycled plastic and have helped bring about a significant increase in front of store recycling bins for bags,” he says.
