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Packaging
Commons committee calls for tough action on ‘greenwash’
A Commons committee has recommended action to be taken on labelling to cut ‘greenwash’ and enable consumers to make informed decisions about the products they buy. The past few years have seen a proliferation of ‘greenwash’, with companies, such as Shell, make misleading claims about the environmental impact of their products. Actions recommended by the committee include a labelling scheme enforced by law and independently monitored, and greater power to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and trading standards officers to act on the problem.
MPs have warned that the UK could face fines of up to £180m a year from the European Commission if it does not cut the amount of waste dumped in land-fill. Pilot schemes to charge households according to rubbish are, however, attracting criticism. "What we should be doing is increasing recycling. We can do that without doing it through a bin tax", said Eric Pickles, Shadow communities’ secretary.
Packaging from drinks makes up nearly 25% of food packaging wasted in the UK of which the majority of this glass, mainly wine bottles. One problem with the green glass used in wine bottles, rather than clear flint glass, is that there is not enough high value, domestic demand for green glass waste in the UK. So although it is recyclable, it is not being recycled.
New Internationalist recently ran an investigation into the role of plastics in modern life. It explored the toxicity of plastics in everyday products and food packaging, their persistance in the oceans and effect on wildlife.
Two other important issues emerged:
- The bottled water industry. Its use of oil to produce PET releases 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide per year in the US alone. On top of this is the environmental cost of transporting water, and the ethical implications of undermining public trust in and support of tap water.
- The future of plastic in the food system. Bioplastics; polymers made from plants instead of petroleum, are mainly made from food sugars and divert yet more crops from food production. As well as concerns over the degradability of these products, bioplastics, like biofuels, face serious questions in the light of the global food crisis.
