By Plasteurope.com correspondent

The UK government said it wants to hear from SMEs and others in the supply chain about their experience of dealing with regulatory changes covering single-use plastics (SUPs).

All four constituent countries of the UK – England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland – have introduced bans on single-use plastics in the past couple of years. The various bans cover items such as SUP cutlery (including forks, spoons, and knives), plastic ballon sticks, as well as cups and takeaway food containers made from expanded or foamed polystyrene. 

The review of the legislation by the Office for the Internal Market (OIM), which is part of the Competition and Markets Authority, builds on an earlier OIM report, which the government said had revealed that supermarkets have tended to adopt a “UK-wide” approach, “meaning they adapt to the regulatory environment by using items which meet trading rules in all parts of the UK or at least all parts they trade in, rather than using different products in each nation”.

Related: Wet wipes containing plastics to be banned in UK

When assessing the impact of regulations, the OIM said it wanted to hear about the experience of dealing with regulatory changes in relation to single-use plastics, notably “views on how businesses have responded to the changes and the extent to which differences in the timing or substance of regulations have impacted policymaking and innovation across the UK”.   

OIM panel chair Murdoch MacLennan said people knew that reducing consumption of SUPs was important for the environment. “We also know that the UK internal market for goods and services is worth GBP 190 bn a year and green issues are a top priority for consumers, so it’s in everyone’s interest to get the full picture on how national restrictions on single-use plastics are working,” he added.

An online survey for comments will be live until 16 September 2024.