A new Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) comes into force from 1 April 2022.
This tax will apply to plastic packaging manufactured in, or imported into the UK, that does not contain at least 30% recycled plastic, at a rate of £200 per tonne.
It will not apply to any plastic packaging which contains at least 30% recycled plastic, or any packaging which is not predominantly plastic by weight.
Imported plastic packaging will be liable to the tax, whether the packaging is unfilled or filled.
The tax is intended to provide a clear economic incentive for businesses to use recycled material in plastic packaging, which will create greater demand for this material and in turn stimulate increased levels of recycling and collection of plastic waste, diverting it away from landfill or incineration.
Whilst we all agree that a circular economy (an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources) is important, the difficulty comes in understanding the benefits and indeed potential issues with alternatives and testing and trialing them to determine the best fit for your product.
The Packaging Automation trial facility at our factory in Knutsford, Cheshire offers you the opportunity to carry out tests using your proposed packaging materials with your product incorporating the process steps you intend to use (MAP, SkinPAC, chill, freeze or cook) to verify the results prior to investment in machinery.
Shelf ready pack concepts can be produced to validate pack integrity and for performance trials such as shelf life and transit trials.
Simon Wilson, our packaging seal technologist can guide you through the development of new packaging concepts including selecting environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic packaging and can help you access our vast database of packaging suppliers.
“I met Simon on the back of the PPMA show last year and he has been helping to support our plastic free agenda since. He has been a source of knowledge as we explore paper based materials and their sealing capabilities. Simon is incredibly proactive when it comes to investigating new materials and is always on hand when we have quality and technical issues that we are trying to resolve. His honest approach enables us to get answers quickly and it has been a pleasure to collaborate with him as we try to turn the tap down on plastic production. The service Simon provides is excellent and I look forward to continue working with him and the rest of the team at PA on paper based materials over the coming year.”
Hannah Pollard Senior Packaging Technologist Iceland Foods
If you want to develop a #plasticfree agenda or simply reduce the amount of plastic, contact Simon to find out how we can help.
