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Written question asked by Perran Moon (Labour) on Friday, 6 February 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 10 February 2026. It was answered by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Thursday, 12 February 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Plastics: Seas and Oceans

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) define and regulate the classification of ocean plastic and related environmental claims and (b) tackle marketing practices where products are marketed as made from ocean plastic or beach clean materials that are sourced from conventional consumer plastic waste or unrelated recycled materials.

Answer

Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA), businesses are prohibited from misleading consumers and must have evidence to substantiate any claims made. Where a business markets a product as made from ocean plastic or beach clean materials, but either does so falsely, or does not have evidence to substantiate the claim, the business may be infringing the consumer protection provisions of the DMCCA and could be subject to enforcement action.

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. We will soon publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how the Government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. The plan will set out the biggest opportunities in sectors right across the economy, including chemicals and plastics.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
111506
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Beaches Labelling Pollution Marketing Plastics Seas and oceans
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk