£20m for green technology to beat the tide of plastic

PHILIP Hammond yesterday pledged £20million towards the development of green technologies to combat the tide of plastic poisoning our oceans and rivers.

The Chancellor pledged the cash to encourage ‘new thinking’ in businesses and universities.

Launching a review of ways to combat ‘single use’ plastics such as takeaway boxes, cutlery and bubblewrap, he vowed to combat ‘plastic littering and the threat to our oceans’.

Treasury officials will examine imposing small charges on such products to discourage their use.

Mr Hammond told the Commons the review would look at alternative materials, reusable options, and ways of encouraging recycling.

‘It will look at how the tax system can help drive the technological progress and behavioural change we need,’ he said. The move was not a way to raise revenue but to ‘change behaviour’ and ‘encourage innovation’.

Mr Hammond added: ‘We’ll commit to investing to develop new, greener, products and processes funded from the revenues that are raised.’

Cigarette filters could also be covered by new plastic taxes. And, as the Mail revealed on Saturday, the review will also consider a ‘latte levy’ covering disposable coffee cups.

Some 12million tons of plastic waste is dumped in the oceans each year, creating ‘floating continents’ of junk.

Ten years ago the Mail launched its groundbreaking Banish the Bags campaign – calling for a 5p levy on plastic bags. Since this was brought in, the number of plastic bags given out at the tills has fallen by seven billion a year.