The British Glass association has voiced serious concerns regarding the current approach to glass packaging policy costs in Wales, arguing that it creates an unjust financial burden on businesses and threatens the viability of glass as a sustainable packaging choice.
The core of the issue lies in the dual imposition of Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) fees and Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) setup and operating costs specifically on glass beverage packaging in Wales.
This scenario contrasts sharply with the rest of the UK, where glass packaging is exempt from DRS costs. This discrepancy creates an uneven playing field, unfairly penalising glass despite its inherently sustainable properties, including its infinitely recyclable nature. While metal and plastic beverage packaging in Wales will incur DRS fees, they are not subject to pEPR fees.
The implications extend beyond simple cost concerns. Businesses have already sold packaging into the Welsh market under the existing fee structure. The unexpected addition of these new costs risks further distorting the market, adding to inflationary pressures, and ultimately discouraging the use of glass in favor of potentially less sustainable alternatives.
As Nick Kirk, Technical Director at British Glass, aptly stated: “The EPR policy should be applied equally across all four nations. However, in Wales, glass beverage packaging is included in both pEPR and DRS, whilst in the other three nations, packaging included in the DRS, is exempt from pEPR.” He emphasizes that this inconsistency encourages a shift away from recyclable glass.
To rectify this imbalance, industry leaders are urgently calling for a revision of the Welsh policy to exclude glass from pEPR costs with immediate effect. This would align glass with its competing beverage materials, preventing unnecessary financial burdens and protecting its position as a viable, sustainable packaging option.
This call for change resonates with the broader need to support genuinely recyclable packaging materials that are also well-suited for future reuse schemes. Aligning glass packaging costs across the UK is crucial to:
Protect Businesses: Ensuring fair and consistent policy application across the UK.
Promote Sustainability: Encouraging the use of infinitely recyclable glass.
Provide Consumer Choice: Maintaining equal access to a variety of food and beverage products.
Encourage Environmentally Responsible Choices: Empowering consumers to make informed decisions based on sustainability, not artificially inflated costs.
The Welsh government should carefully consider the detrimental impact of the current policy and take swift action to ensure a level playing field for glass packaging, ultimately fostering a more sustainable and economically viable packaging landscape for Wales and the UK as a whole. The future of glass as a sustainable packaging material in Wales hangs in the balance.
Source: British Glass with additional information added by GlassBalkan
