Written question asked by Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour) on Wednesday, 8 March 2023, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 22 March 2023. It was answered by Lord Benyon (Conservative) on Thursday, 16 March 2023 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Packaging: Recycling

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to mandate certain products to be packaged in fully certified compostable packaging, such as tea bags, caddy liners, and food contaminated packaging.

Answer: In April 2021 we published our response to the call for evidence on the need for standards for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics The Government has no plans to mandate making tea bags, caddy lines and food contaminated packaging compostable. Government measures focus on extracting maximum value from plastic materials by making sure we keep it in circulation for longer, moving away from a take, make, throw model and shifting towards a circular economy.

Secondary information