Public support for tax-incentivised recycling revealed
Wednesday, August 22, 2018 - 10:12:46
The government has confirmed that voters are strongly in favour of harnessing the tax system to make recycling more impactful and effective, rather than resorting to incinerating much of the recyclable waste that is collected nationally, as is the case at the moment.
The Telegraph reports that a plastic tax will be levied against plastic items which are not currently recyclable in an effort to minimise their usage in the UK and ultimately eliminate them altogether.
While the details have yet to be finalised, it is expected that the Treasury will unveil them as part of its upcoming Budget announcement, which will give the public and eco campaigners alike a better idea about the shape that the tax will take.
Clearly the manufacturers of food products which are packaged in non-recyclable materials will simply increase the price of the items they sell to absorb this tax, which ultimately places the burden on shoppers themselves.
In spite of this, the evidence of widespread support for such a move is seen as being a clear indication that consumers are happy to take a bit of a hit in order to change habits and make the nation more eco-friendly.
Everything from drinks bottles to cling film will likely be covered by the tax, which means it could be wider ranging than many might anticipate.
Single use plastics are not just being targeted because they are either non-recyclable or difficult to process, but because there is a need to reduce the amount of waste that the UK produces overall in order to minimise the amount that is sent to be incinerated.
2018 has been a year of anti-plastic campaigning on a scale never seen before, and it is clear that the momentum built by the efforts of eco-warriors is having an impact.
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