The UK plastics industry has spoken out against the government’s consideration to press ahead with plans to exempt biodegradable plastic bags from the single-use levy. Responding to the threat of an exemption, the British Plastics Federation (BPF, London / UK; www.bpf.co.uk) said littering would increase and jobs could be lost as confidence in the quality of recyclates would be undermined.

Roger Baynham, chairman of the British Plastics Federation Recycling Group, said: “Such a move would not only be contrary to the recommendations of the government’s own Environmental Audit Committee but is also opposed by virtually all organisations in the plastics sector, including material suppliers, packaging manufacturers and plastics recyclers.”

He continued: “Over the last three years, the UK has seen the emergence of significant infrastructure to support plastics recycling. This is at a critical stage where it is necessary for these investments to demonstrate profitable growth and to meet the needs of higher overall recycling targets. This policy exemption could undermine these businesses due to the potential for contamination.”

Baynham added that it was already evident that recycled plastic was being replaced by virgin polymer in certain applications because of the fear that biodegradable content could undermine the integrity of products containing recycled polymers.

Philip Law, director general of the BPF and speaking on behalf of the industry group Plastics2020, described the proposed exemption as discriminatory and said it would promote littering as consumers will believe the material simply disintegrates after use. He also warned that it would “spell a loss of jobs in what has been a potentially thriving plastics recycling sector and put paid to further progress in meeting government’s ambitious recycling targets.”

The Environmental Services Association (ESA) added its concerns. Jacob Hayler, executive director at the ESA, commented: “Unless we can be sure that such [biodegradable] bags will not end up in the plastics recycling route, which is very difficult indeed, the bags will undermine confidence in recycled plastics, but also risk getting stuck in sorting equipment. A simple system that encourages reusable bags, and ideally also recycled content, would be much better.”

Responding to these warnings, the Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Association (www.biodeg.org) accused the BPF of "scaremongering", saying "the BPF and the recyclers know or ought to know that the characteristics of the different types of biodegradable plastic are not the same. Some are compatible with recycling and some are not." The association added that while both compostable and sugar cane-based plastics should not qualify for the exemption, by virtue of their not being renewable, this does not apply to oxo-biodegradable plastics, which biodegrade at the end of their lives.