Stephen Morgan MP was among dozens of MPs to support the new Plastics Bill presented by Geraint Davies MP which will ensure all plastic is recyclable by 2025 and would make producers pay for the cost of recycling.
The development follows Plastic Free Portsmouth leading a successful effort in helping the city council pass a motion earlier this year in support of their community campaign.
The Portsmouth South MP said:
“It’s a crucial time to get serious about cutting out plastic in our communities and reduce its production and use.
By making the Plastics Bill into law we will ensure that plastic producers instead of local council tax payers pay for the cost of recycling plastic. The UK needs to take a world leading position having awoken the world to the plastics crisis with David Attenborough’s Blue Planet.
Locally we are already setting an example to others across our nation in passing a motion at the city council, and I thank Plastic Free Portsmouth for all they are doing. Yet we now need to set an example by reducing our own plastic consumption in schools, at work and in all local services and I’ll be lending a hand here as well as speaking up in Parliament.
Currently 90% of the cost of plastic recycling is paid by our local council taxpayers so I’m supporting the Plastics Bill so the producer pays instead. This will encourage producers to innovate and reduce plastic pollution.”
Geraint Davies, Swansea West MP, who has presented the Plastics Bill said:
“More than 200 groups and schools across the UK have already signed up to the Plastic Free Schools programme run by Surfers Against Sewage so it’s great that Stephen Morgan is helping to lead the charge in Portsmouth.
MPs from all parties across the UK support the Plastics Bill. We now know from the UN that as things stand there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by 2050. I also know, living in Swansea, how important it is to protect our beautiful coastlines
Unless we agree the Plastics Bill, if the UK leaves the EU we risk falling behind Europe where all plastic will be recyclable by 2030. Instead, the Bill would give the UK global leadership to help save our marine environment and ecosystems by requiring that all plastics in UK are recyclable by 2025 instead of 2042 as currently proposed by the UK government.”
