News

Trading standards officers in Lincolnshire are to offer advice to local businesses and enforce the Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations to prevent them from creating too much waste.

Gary Seymour, assistant head of trading standards at Lincolnshire County Council, said: "Additional local authority funding of £115,000 has enabled us to set up a team of three to encourage businesses to keep packaging constantly under review, reduce it and, where possible, recycle and re-use it."

The team, which will be up and running by September or October, will also look at business sectors where excess packaging is a "more significant" problem, such computer software and DIY.

"We've tried to take a reasonable approach, but some of the packaging in DIY stores leaves something to be desired," said Seymour.

The team will work alongside other agencies such as Envirowise and Wrap to make sure that the message gets across.

"We'll look at businesses in Lincolnshire first and then products that come into the county from outside. If we find, for example, excessive packaging on a product that has come from Bristol, we'll work with trading standards officers at Bristol City Council so that they can raise the issue with their local businesses," added Seymour.

Although trading standards officers can prosecute offenders, Seymour said communication would be the first step to help businesses comply with the law.