Written question asked by Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour) on Thursday, 24 June 2021, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 8 July 2021. It was answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative) on Thursday, 8 July 2021 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Agriculture: Plastics

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they made representations on the use of Oxo-Biodegradable plastics to the European Approval Authorities, prior to that body’s decision to ban such products for use in agriculture in favour of bio-based resin from starch and lactic acid based products.

Answer: Article 5 of EU Directive 2019/904, on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, introduces a ban on products made from oxo-degradable from being placed on the market within the EU from 3 July 2021. Defra officials were engaged in several fast-paced negotiations in the latter half of 2018 in the lead up to the Directive’s introduction to the European Parliament. The UK Government did not make any separate representations to the European Chemicals Agency regarding oxo-degradable plastics.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: HL1376
Session: 2021-22
Subjects: Agriculture Biodegradability EU countries Plastics Standards Starch Lactic acid
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk