Firms 'need to tackle packaging problem'
Jun 10 2009
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Businesses at all stages of the supply chain will be required to improve how they use and dispose of packaging under a new government initiative.
Environment secretary Hilary Benn reveals that a new ten-year strategy will aim to cut the amount of packaging which is used by manufacturers, reduce that thrown away by retailers and increase recycling.
The plans permit enforcement action to be carried out against manufacturing companies that use excess and unnecessary packaging, while customers will be encouraged to lodge complaints about offenders with Trading Standards.
In addition, the strategy calls for the recyclability of packaging to be improved and the use of refillable and reusable containers to be expanded to cover a wider range of goods.
The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) will also work closely with manufacturers and retailers to examine how the amount of packaging used in everyday products can be practically reduced.
Liz Goodwin, chief executive of WRAP, comments: 'By working across the whole supply chain, we have greater opportunities to make a positive difference. We need to cut excess packaging whilst recognising that the right packaging can help products last longer and so reduce waste.'
At a recent meeting with his US counterparts, Benn claimed that the main problem facing the world is sustainability and called for businesses and governments to build a green economy based on resource and energy efficiency.
Environment secretary Hilary Benn reveals that a new ten-year strategy will aim to cut the amount of packaging which is used by manufacturers, reduce that thrown away by retailers and increase recycling.
The plans permit enforcement action to be carried out against manufacturing companies that use excess and unnecessary packaging, while customers will be encouraged to lodge complaints about offenders with Trading Standards.
In addition, the strategy calls for the recyclability of packaging to be improved and the use of refillable and reusable containers to be expanded to cover a wider range of goods.
The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) will also work closely with manufacturers and retailers to examine how the amount of packaging used in everyday products can be practically reduced.
Liz Goodwin, chief executive of WRAP, comments: 'By working across the whole supply chain, we have greater opportunities to make a positive difference. We need to cut excess packaging whilst recognising that the right packaging can help products last longer and so reduce waste.'
At a recent meeting with his US counterparts, Benn claimed that the main problem facing the world is sustainability and called for businesses and governments to build a green economy based on resource and energy efficiency.
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