At last! Queen will unveil new laws to fight plastic scourge

A NEW law to tackle the scourge of plastic will be announced in next week’s Queen’s Speech.

Ministers will bring forward legislation that, for the first time, introduces a legally binding target for eliminating avoidable plastic waste.

The Environmental Bill will give ministers the powers to create a bottle deposit scheme, make packaging producers cover the costs of dealing with litter and allow new national rules that end the postcode lottery on recycling.

The legislation is a landmark victory for the Mail’s Turn The Tide On Plastic campaign.

A Government source last night said the measures would help ‘protect and preserve this planet for generations’ – adding: ‘The Conservatives have already made huge progress in tackling plastic pollution – banning plastic straws and cracking down on plastic bag usage.

‘But we need to keep going further to tackle plastic pollution. This is why Monday’s Queen’s Speech is expected to include a comprehensive framework for legally binding targets covering plastics – set to tackle plastic pollution and encourage consumers to reuse existing plastic items rather than simply use them once.’

As part of the Bill, producers of packaging will be required to reimburse the full cost of the collection, sorting, disposal and recycling of what they place on the market. This will include plastics.

The new powers will also allow for an extra levy that will cover the costs of dealing with litter.

Manufacturers will be required by law to mark packaging so it is clear whether or not it can be recycled, and ministers will end the postcode lottery on collections.

At present, councils are free to decide what they recycle and there is a huge disparity on plastic waste, with some collecting every type – and some taking none at all.

Around a third refuse to take ‘rigid plastics’ – including yoghurt pots and margarine tubs. Nationwide standards would ensure that as far as possible, councils collect the same items.

The Bill will also give ministers the powers they need to introduce a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles.

This is a vindication for the Scottish Daily Mail’s groundbreaking Banish the Bottles campaign, launched in 2017, to pressurise the Scottish Government to introduce such a scheme, to which it has since committed.

Such initiatives have boosted recycling in European countries. It involves adding a small deposit to the cost of a drink – which ranges from 5p to 22p on the Continent.

The deposit is paid back when empties are returned to ‘reverse vending machines’ located in supermarkets.

Meanwhile, Scotland has become the first part of the UK to ban the sale of plastic cotton buds.

Regulations have come into force prohibiting the manufacture and sale of the items, as part of measures to reduce plastic waste.