Packaging News Election Manifesto 2010: A blueprint for the future

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We, the undersigned, call on the government to act on the following eight issues on behalf of the packaging industry:

1 Support UK manufacturing in all its forms
British industry, including packaging manufacturing, has suffered in recent times and not only due to the recession – a range of factors, such as the difficulty in obtaining credit and costs associated with unsustainable rises in national insurance and business rates, charges for business rates on empty properties, the Climate Change Levy and more, have hit the sector. The result is the continuing shift of manufacturing out of the UK to lower-cost economies. The incoming government must do everything in its power to revive and strengthen the UK’s manufacturing base. Specific measures we would like to see are more favourable capital allowances for capital expenditure, better support for strategically important manufacturing industries and better promotion of manufacturing as a career choice in the education system. This will benefit not only the packaging industry but the UK economy as a whole.

2 Base decisions affecting the packaging industry on science, not politics
Packaging protects and preserves, above all. It is essential to modern life as it ensures that food and other products arrive  undamaged and fresh with the consumer after journeys of often many thousands of miles. Despite this, a majority of commentators continue to talk of packaging as an environmental problem. The science shows, however, that packaging is an environmental solution; the clearest example is its role in cutting food waste. The packaging industry and many brands recognise this while still continuing to work to reduce packaging’s environmental impact. The new government should also recognise this rather than trying to make political wins with incorrect information on the supposed damage that packaging causes.

3 Fully involve the packaging industry in the policy that affects it
No one is better placed to express the needs and concerns of the packaging supply chain than packaging manufacturers and buyers. Yet the make-up of the Government’s Advisory Committee on Packaging includes only one packaging converter and only one buyer, and has a large focus on packaging waste. We believe that policy on packaging would be better informed – and simply better – were it to seek greater input from the people who specify and manufacture packaging.

4 Improve the quality and quantity of waste packaging collected from households
Waste collection standards and methods differ between boroughs, meaning effectively there is a postcode lottery for what is collected from one borough to the next. This can be confusing for consumers and, more importantly, undermines efforts by specifiers and manufacturers to create packaging that will maximise recycling rates. While we are aware that there is minimal political will to force boroughs to standardise collection regimes, we call on the incoming government to work towards basic minimum standards of collection. We also call on the government to take evidence on the relative merits of co-mingled collections and those where materials are separated at source. These steps must be taken to improve the quality of recyclate coming from materials recovery facilities and push up overall recycling rates to desired levels.

5 Invest in the UK’s recycling and energy-from-waste infrastructure
Waste materials should be recycled if they can be. So alongside improvements to waste-material collection, more must be invested in expanding the recycling infrastructure. It will be even more important for the UK to reach both EU and domestic targets on waste recycling. We recognise the progress that has been made in recent years but believe far more needs to be done. Where materials cannot be recycled, the government must support investment in energy-from-waste facilities in order to minimise waste going to landfill.

6 Act to ensure the future supply and cost of energy
Energy is a significant cost for the industry across all sectors. With the planned closure of nuclear and coal power stations over the coming years, there is widespread concern brown-outs will become regular occurrences. We call on the government to create an energy policy to protect the future supply of energy and to ensure the cost does not disadvantage the UK against its European competitors. In particular, we believe the expansion of energy-from-waste facilities should play a role in the UK’s future energy supply mix.

7 Support international efforts to standardise sustainability metrics
Greenwash is a serious problem not only in packaging but across industry. The incoming government should support existing efforts to create standard and robust measures of economic, social and environmental sustainability. This will contribute to an end to meaningless greenwash, which we believe undermines true efforts to improve sustainability. Most of all, it will allow all brands, packaging manufacturers and consumers to talk about sustainability in a consistent way.

8 Publicise the Packaging Waste Regulations widely and fully
Both small and large companies across the UK economy regularly receive punitive fines for non-compliance with the Packaging Waste Regulations. Most are simply unaware of the regulations. We would never argue that ignorance of the law is an excuse for breaking it. However, we believe that the incoming government must ensure that promotional work is undertaken to make sure that businesses in every sector of the economy are made aware of their obligations under these little-known regulations.

SIGNATORIES

Bob Houghton, marketing and communications manager, Chesapeake
Dick Searle, chief executive, Packaging Federation
Ron Marsh, chief executive, RPC
Steve Kelsey, strategic innovations director, PI Global
Andrew Copson, deputy managing director, Sharp Interpack
James Crick, business development director, Nampak Plastics
Clive Bowers, chief executive, Smurfit Kappa UK
Andrew Barnetson, corrugated manager, CPI
Bob McLellan, chief executive, DS Smith
Nick Mullen, director, MPMA
Dave Dalton, chief executive, British Glass
Barry Turner, chief executive, PAFA
Peter Fitzgerald, sales and marketing director, Quinn Glass
Mark Rozmus, UK regional operations director, Ardagh Glass
Peter Davis, director general, BPF
John Monks, president, BPIF Cartons
Rodney Steel, chief executive, BCMPA
Robert Davison, managing director, Alexir Packaging
Chris Hill, sales and marketing director, Boxes Prestige
Shane Monkman, buying manager – packaging and environment, Asda

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