MPs back UK innovators as Britain steps up fight against plastic pollution

"According to United Nations estimates, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated globally each year, with plastic pollution forecast to triple by 2060 unless action is taken. MPs were told that while recycling has dominated policy for decades, it cannot solve the crisis alone. Industry experts at the briefing argued that meaningful progress requires intervention across the entire plastics lifecycle, from production through to disposal, with replacement, rather than recycling, becoming the priority."

"At a Westminster briefing hosted by the Natural Polymers Group, parliamentarians heard how UK-led innovation in nature-based materials could form a £4.2 billion industry and create more than 35,000 high-skilled green jobs across the country. More than a dozen MPs, peers and civil servants attended the event, where companies including Xampla, Notpla, MarinaTex and plantsea showcased packaging solutions designed to replace single-use plastics altogether."

MPs support greater government backing for British businesses developing alternatives to plastic packaging. UK-led innovation in nature-based materials could form a £4.2 billion industry and create more than 35,000 high-skilled green jobs across the country. Companies such as Xampla, Notpla, MarinaTex and plantsea are producing packaging designed to replace single-use plastics. Natural polymers are materials created in nature, not chemically modified, fully biodegradable and compostable. These materials are explicitly excluded from the legal definition of plastic under the Single-Use Plastics Directive and REACH. More than 400 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated globally each year, and recycling alone cannot solve the crisis. Replacement across the plastics lifecycle should become the priority to reduce pollution and build sustainable domestic industries.

Read at Business Matters