The coronavirus pandemic could damage the UK’s progress in tackling plastics waste, according to a new briefing paper published by the country’s government. According to a House of Commons’ library briefing paper on UK plastics waste published at the end of last year, “There has been some concern about the environmental consequences of an increased use of plastic products during the Covid-19 pandemic and about a delay to environmental legislation.” The widespread use of single-use personal protective equipment (PPE) has worried environmentalists across the UK.

The paper, which contained an overview of the environmental impact of plastic waste on the country’s environment and statistics and information on government and devolved government plans, also reports on the ambitions of the devolved administrations to “reduce avoidable plastics waste and examples of voluntary initiatives from the plastics industry, environmental groups and retailers.”

The Scottish have already made regulations to introduce a deposit return scheme from July 2022, and the rest of the UK is considering a similar move. Following Scotland’s lead, England, Wales and Northern Ireland are looking at introducing deposit return schemes for plastic drinks bottles in an attempt to cut down on plastic waste entering the environment. Interestingly, a survey conducted in 2020 by British recycling body Recoup (ReCycling of Used Plastics, Peterborough; www.recoup.org) had shown an upward trend in household plastics collection in the UK (see Plasteurope.com of 18.12.2020).