Plastic Packaging Tax
The UK government has announced the introduction of the Plastic Packaging tax, which applies to all plastic manufactured or imported into the UK that does not contain 30% recycled plastic. Will this affect you?
Do you remember when you could easily pick a plastic bag from a shop, now we have to pay 10p! Many of us make efforts to reduce our plastic usage in some ways, but the UK has now taken steps to target manufacturers and importers of plastic packaging by introducing a new plastic packaging tax. The government have announced this purely to reduce the use of new plastics and increase plastic recycling.
How much is PPT?
The rate of PPT will be £200 per metric tonne of plastic packaging that contains less than 30% recycled plastic. Packaging must contain more than 30% recycled materials to avoid tax.
Who will pay PPT?
PPT will be in place from April 1st 2022. Potentially everybody will pay this, from a large plastic packaging manufacturer to a customer at a corner shop buying sweets. The cost will be passed along the supply chain to the end customers.
If you are a business that manufactures or imports plastic packaging, including packaging that already contains something such as water, then you will be liable for paying this.
What can liable businesses do next?
- Check if you need to keep records. Plastic packaging is assumed to not meet the recycled test unless you can demonstrate that it does.
- Start asking suppliers how they intend to record the recycled content of the materials they supply.
- Consider if you will need to create paperwork such as invoices to show a customer how much PPT has been paid.
- If you are liable you will need to register on or before April 2022 deadline.
What can I do as a customer buying into plastic?
To avoid the plastic packaging tax, choose non-plastic packaging such as aluminium, tin plate or even cardboard! If this is not possible for your business or product then try to find a recycled plastic that exceeds 30%.
If you would like to find out more information for your business about this, please take a look at the government HMRC website.
