The UK Plastic Packaging Tax was introduced in 2022. The UK Plastic Packaging Tax is charged at a rate of £200 per tonne on the production and import of plastic packaging with less than 30% recycled content, subject to consultation.
Plastic packaging accounts for 44% of plastic used in the UK, but 67% of plastic waste, and over 2 million tonnes of plastic packaging is used each year’. Source: Gov.uk. The rationale of this tax aims to increase the use of recycled content in plastic packaging, and it is anticipated, as a result of the tax, that there will be a significant increase in the amount of partially recycled plastic packaging used.
Importers, manufacturers and converters are all subject to the tax, and will need to prove packaging contains the necessary recycled content in order to be exempt. 20,000 producers and importers are expected to be liable and there will be civil and criminal penalties for those failing to comply!
