(Ipswich) (Lab):...We do not
use oil-fired power stations any more, as a rule, because of their
unsustainable climate change implications. How much more
unsustainable is it to incinerate plastic in an energy-from-waste
plant? My third ask of the Minister is whether the Government have
any plans to ensure that the proposed extended producer
responsibility for packaging production will simply be allowed to
subsidise more energy
from waste plants, or whether they have any
plans to ensure that the money is used to incentivise recycling
instead?
The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr Robert
Goodwill):...The Government share the public’s concerns about the
environmental issues surrounding plastics and have set out
ambitious plans to address the problem. When plastic use cannot
be prevented or plastics cannot be reused, they should be
recycled wherever possible. However, managing plastic waste that
cannot be reused or recycled is complex and depends on a number
of factors, including the type of plastic, the overall
environmental impacts of landfill and the efficiency of energy
from waste facilities. As we have heard, it is not just
Government-led initiatives that can push this agenda, but
consumer-driven progress in places such as Sheffield and
Cambridge. Indeed, in the meal I ate last night, the spinach and
the strawberries were picked in the garden without any need for
packaging; the potatoes were in a 25 kg paper sack from a farm
less than 10 miles away, not using any plastic; and the beef was
produced on the estate where we live...
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