Reports suggest that the UK could copy Norway and adopt a deposit-based system for recycling bottles, in an effort to reduce the amount of plastic waste.
In Norway, consumers pay a deposit on every bottle they buy (from 10p-25p), before putting it into a deposit return machine, which reads the barcode and produces a coupon for the deposit. It is viewed as one of the most successful recycling methods.
Kjell Olav Maldum, chief executive of Infinitum, which runs the Norway scheme, said, ‘There are other recycling schemes, but we believe ours is the most cost-efficient. We think it could be copied in the UK, or anywhere.
‘Our principle is that if drinks firms can get bottles to shops to sell their products, they can also collect those same bottles.’
Back in December 2017, the UK government’s Environmental Audit Committee outlined the benefits of a deposit scheme. ‘Around 700,000 plastic bottles are littered in the UK every day,’ said Mary Creagh MP, chair of the committee. ‘The introduction of a small charge to encourage the return of plastic bottles will result in less littering, more recycling and reduction in the impact of plastic packaging on our natural environment.’
The government’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has warned that more needs to be done to meet legally binding emissions targets.
In a wide-ranging report, released just a week since the government’s announcement of its 25-year environment plan, the committee says a majority of cars need to be electric by 2030 and is calling for better building standards for new homes, among other things.
The CCC has analysed the government’s Clean Growth Strategy, published late last year, stating that while it ‘reaffirms the UK’s desire to remain at the forefront of tackling climate change’, there are ‘significant gaps’ that remain.
Overall, the targets – one of which is 85% of UK electricity generation from low-carbon sources by 2032 – are ‘very positive signals’, writes Lord Deben, CCC chairman, in the report foreword, but adds, ‘The detailed policies and measures to meet the targets are not, in general, set out.’
For example, on electric cars, the report states, ‘The government has committed to end the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040. However, they have not announced a specific policy mechanism to deliver this and it has not been set in legislation.’ It adds that the necessary charging infrastructure ‘must be installed’ to address issues of ‘range and charging anxiety’.
The CCC wants ministers to do more to improve the energy efficiency of homes and other buildings, and introduce plans to ‘ensure a larger proportion of heating from heat networks comes from low-carbon sources’.
In a nod to the on-going debate about plastic waste, there should also be an extension of the UK landfill ban to cover plastics and wood, as well as a greater focus on tree planting.
Carbon capture and storage, meanwhile, should be given greater prominence and the government should unveil plans in 2018 that, in the committee’s words, ‘kick-start a UK CCS industry in the 2020s’.
Speaking to BBC News, Lord Deben said, ‘The government’s policies will need to be firmed up as a matter of urgency and supplemented with additional measures if the UK is to deliver on legal commitments and secure its position as an international climate change leader.’
Today, two big amendments were put to a vote in the House of Commons.
First was a proposal led by Labour’s Stella Creasy to allow women from Northern Ireland to get free abortions in England. Currently, abortions in Northern Ireland are banned unless in extreme circumstances of poor health, and the women who travel to England for the procedures have to pay around £900. It passed the house and will now come into law.
The amendment - which was backed by more than 50 MPs from across the major parties - means Northern Irish women will now have their abortions in England covered by the NHS. Fairly reasonable, when you consider most of these women pay the taxes that fund the service. It is estimated the amendment will cost approximately £1 million per year.
Second was a Brexit-based amendment led by Labour’s Chuka Umunna. This amendment suggested the UK stay in the single market, which guarantees free movement of goods, services, money and labour within the EU. Jeremy Corbyn called on all Labour MP’s to abstain from the vote and threatened they would be sacked from any ministerial roles if they rebelled. So far we are aware of 3 Labour frontbenchers who have been sacked from their roles for not abstaining.
While parties such as Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats showed unanimous support for the amendment, it was easily defeated due to Labour abstentions.
Then all that remained was the vote on the final Queen’s Speech, the last piece of the puzzle to make Theresa May the undisputed Prime Minster of the United Kingdom. With the support of the DUP’s 10 MPs, the Queen’s Speech passed.
tl;dr Good news for women, bad news for business, great news for Theresa May
