We are now on the countdown to the introduction of the Plastic Packaging Tax in April 2022. With less than a year to go, you need to know exactly how the tax will affect your business.
Who will be affected, and how?
The Tax will apply to businesses who manufacture, or import into the UK, plastic packaging containing less than 30% recycled content. This will only apply to businesses who manufacture or import more than 10 tonnes of plastic packaging in a 12 month period. This Tax will be charged at £200 a tonne, so if you manufacture or import large amounts of packaging, this could have a significant impact.
The government is including multi-material packaging which is 'predominantly plastic by weight'; alternative plastics including bio-based plastics; and filled as well as unfilled packaging in the scope of the Tax. When materials are converted into plastic packaging, this is the point at which the Tax will be charged. If you manufacture plastic packaging in the UK for direct exports, you will not be liable to pay the Tax.
How can Veolia help you to prepare?
Veolia will continue to engage with the government on the tax and will keep our customers informed of any updates. We will offer detailed guidance on what businesses need to do in practical terms i.e. registering on the dedicated HMRC portal, collecting the necessary evidence to submit, and so on. Our teams can work with businesses individually to address their specific problems and needs, to make sure that none of our customers are stung when the Tax is introduced.
What resources are available?
We now have a dedicated Plastic Packaging Tax Hub, where you can find more detailed information on exactly what the Tax will entail. This will also be the place to find all the latest news and updates to help you prepare. On 15th June, we will be hosting a Plastic Packaging Tax webinar to provide information on key topics and answer your questions.
Register for our
Plastic Packaging Tax Webinar
-Further Reading-
Tim Duret discusses Veolia's latest project on the Dairy Dialogue Podcast
Last week, Tim Duret, the Director of Sustainable Technology at Veolia, featured on the latest episode of The Dairy Dialogue Podcast by the Dairy Reporter.
Veolia set to produce over 100 million recycled plastic milk bottles each year
Veolia is set to make a major increase to the amount of recycled plastic used in milk bottles and close the UK to UK recycling loop for the UK dairy industry.
Supporting businesses to adopt a circular economy
Eliminating single-use plastics has been high on the sustainability agenda in the UK for a while now, with items like plastic straws and cotton buds being banned in the last couple of years.
Expanding our plastics recycling for a circular economy
Plastic has become a hugely contentious issue in recent years, with more awareness being raised about the problem of plastic leakage into the environment.