Environment Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered at on 21 May 2013.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken to reduce the environmental effects of packaging of products in the food and drink sector.
Significant achievements on packaging in the food and drink sector have been made during the first two phases of the Courtauld Commitment, the voluntary responsibility deal with food retailers and manufacturers. To date, 2.3 million tonnes of waste have successfully been prevented by Courtauld signatories and consumers.
A third phase of the Courtauld Commitment was launched on
There are now limited opportunities for more substantial reductions without resulting in product damage due to under-packaging. Our analysis shows that without Courtauld 3 there could have been a 3% increase in greenhouse gas emissions from food packaging as sales volumes increase. The environmental impact of food waste due to under-packaging is greater than the packaging itself.
Under Courtauld 3 there will be greater focus on designing packaging for recycling and increasing recycled content, where appropriate. Examples are designing and labelling packaging to make it easier for consumers to recycle, by specifying recycled content where appropriate, and continuing to optimise packaging while ensuring there is no compromise on product protection.
The Hospitality and Food Service Agreement, a voluntary agreement between the UK, devolved Administrations and the hospitality and food service sector (which includes restaurants, hotels, caterers and pubs) also aims to reduce food and packaging waste.
155 companies have signed up to two targets under the agreement. The first of these is to reduce food and associated packaging waste arising by 5% by the end of 2015. This is against a 2012 baseline and will be measured by CO2 equivalent emissions. The second is to increase the overall rate of food and packaging waste being recycled, composted or sent to anaerobic digestion to at least 70% by the end of 2015.
The Government have also set higher packaging recycling targets for business for 2013-17.
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No0 people think not
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