General Election 2019 | Where the parties stand – Packaging News

However, at the time of writing, Packaging News online poll has the Liberal Democrats narrowly leading on 32% followed by Labour (31%), the Conservatives (19%), Brexit Party (13%) and the Greens (2%). Other parties accounted for 2% of the poll.

While Brexit and NHS have dominated the national headlines, the environment remains a key issue for voters. This is reflected in the parties manifestos, which outline several pledges on reducing greenhouse gases.

The focus has also resulted in all the national parties making major pledges on packaging, likely to shape the future of the industry regardless of who wins the General Election. Here is a brief summary of where the main five UK parties stand on the packaging industry.

The Conservative Party

The Tories have vowed to lead the world in tackling plastics pollution.

Its environmental plans outline the partys desire to tackle plastics pollution both in the UK and abroad. It reaffirmed its commitment to introduce a new levy designed to increase the proportion of recyclable plastics in packaging.

The partys manifesto added: We will introduce extended producer responsibility, so that producers pay the full costs of dealing with the waste they produce and boost domestic recycling. We will ban the export of plastic waste to non-OECD countries, consulting the industry, NGOs and local councils on the date by which this should be achieved.

The Conservatives added that it will introduce a deposit return scheme to incentivise people to recycle plastic and glass.

The party pledged to also set up a new 3bn National Skills Fund alongside other major investments in skills and training.

The Labour Party

Labours manifesto for next months General Election outlines an ambition to take on the global plastics crisis by investing in a new plastics remanufacturing industry creating thousands of jobs, ending exports of plastic waste and reducing our contribution to ocean pollution.

In addition, Labour claimed that would make producers responsible for the waste they create and for the full cost of recycling or disposal, encouraging more sustainable design and manufacturing.

The manifesto added: In government in Wales, Labour has transformed the position of recycling, placing them in the top five globally for recycling rates. A UK Labour government will learn from Wales example, and will also back bottle-return schemes.

The party also committed to a Green Industrial Revolution and aims to achieve the substantial majority or our emissions reductions by 2030 in a way that is evidence based.

Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats have pledged to ban non-recyclable plastics and aim to reduce packaging.

The partys manifesto vows to replace non-recyclable plastics with affordable alternatives. The party added that non-recyclable plastics would be eliminated within three years as a first step towards ending the throwaway society culture and an ambition to end plastic waste exports by 2030.

The party wants to establish a statutory waste recycling target of 70% in England as well as extending food waste collections to at least 90% of homes by 2024. It also wants to strengthen incentives to reduce packaging and reduce waste sent to landfill and incineration.

In addition, the Liberal Democrats claim that it would extend deposit return schemes for all food and drink bottles and containers. It would aim to work with the devolved administrations to ensure consistency across the UK.

The manifesto said: The successful economies of the future will be those which adopt circular economy techniques, cutting resource use, waste and pollution by maximising recovery, reuse, recycling and remanufacturing. This will cut costs for consumers and businesses, protect the environment and create new jobs and enterprises. We will introduce a Zero-Waste and Resource Efficiency Act to ensure that the UK moves towards a circular economy.

Green Party

The eye-catching line in the partys manifesto is the pledge to ban all single-use plastics for use in packaging. It also sims to invest in research and development for plastic alternatives.

The Greens said: We will also extend the successful tax on plastic bags to cover plastic bottles, single-use plastics and microplastics, and extend plastic bottle deposit schemes.

The party has also pledged to develop and implement a reformed waste strategy where manufacturers and retailers are required to pay the full cost of recycling and disposing of the packaging they produce.

It added: A circular economy will underpin this green industrial revolution, designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. Recycling and repairing will be made easier for all, reducing the need to buy new, expensive products on a regular basis.

Brexit Party

The partys Contract with the British People pledges to recycle our own waste and make it illegal for it to exported across the world to be burnt buried or dumped at sea.

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General Election 2019 | Where the parties stand - Packaging News