The UK Government has pledged a £60 million investment to help fight the global battle against single-use plastics. The public funding will go towards measures designed to reduce plastic pollution. The government expects that businesses will jointly invest up to £149 million alongside its investment. The combined sum of £209 million is a government and industry pool ‘record’ investment to cut plastic waste!
Around half of the annual plastic production (40 million tons) is destined for single-use products like shopping bags and plastic bottles, according to Plastic Oceans. That number is expected to triple by 2050, and if it’s not recyclable or biodegradable, it’s going to be a big problem for the planet.
The funding will be used to find ways to cut waste in supply chains and to create new sustainable, recyclable materials, like plastic made from plants, wood chippings and food waste instead of oil, as well as products that degrade easily in an open environment. New forms of packaging could be a step closer thanks to this new business and government investment.
This investment forms part of the government’s Clean Growth Challenge – a key part of the modern Industrial Strategy. It is all part of the UK becoming the first major economy to legislate to end its contribution to global warming by 2050.
Business Secretary Greg Clark said:
We have all seen the enormous damage being caused by single-use plastics across the world. The race is on to develop new effective and practical solutions to end the scourge of single use plastics, helping protect our planet for future generations.
We have put a record level of research and development investment at the heart of our Industrial Strategy – investing to support our best minds and businesses in developing the solutions and industries of tomorrow.
This government and business co-investment clearly demonstrates that when it comes to cutting plastics pollution there is a shared ambition. This is a unique opportunity for our world-leading businesses and innovators to develop the materials of the future with the potential to transform our economy as well as our environment.
Many brands and grocery store chains have already started acting on the need to shift away from single-use plastics due to consumer demands. Sainsbury’s, for example, has committed to removing 10,000 tons of single-use plastic from being used this year in addition to eliminating plastic bags from fresh fruit and vegetables and introducing water refill stands in superstores.
Judith Batchelar, Director of Sainsbury’s Brand:
The plastics challenge is one of the greatest issues for our planet, so today’s announcement is fantastic news for retailers like Sainsbury’s that are already committed to reducing single-use plastics.
But this is an issue that affect all retailers and manufacturers so it’s only by working together that we can make genuine progress and significantly reduce the nation’s reliance on plastic. This fund will act as a catalyst for this ‘coalition of the willing’ to address the research and innovation opportunities together and Sainsbury’s is proud to play our part.
The government has also requested evidence on the standards for these types of materials, known as bio-based and biodegradable plastics. It wants scientists, manufacturers, and the research community to provide reliability on the sustainability and broader impacts of biodegradable, compostable, and bio-based plastics through labeling.
UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive, Professor Sir Mark Walport said:
Plastic pollution is a global crisis that affects our oceans and our land. The new investment through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund will establish the UK as a leading innovator in smart and sustainable plastic packaging solutions, delivering cleaner growth across the supply chain, with a dramatic reduction in plastic waste entering the environment by 2025.
Unilever Chief R&D Officer Richard Slater said:
Unilever is actively working to reduce the impact of its plastic packaging. Many of the key challenges we face can only be overcome by working in partnership and across the whole system. It’s great to see industry and government coming together to find innovative solutions – as part of the ‘Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging challenge’.
