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Liberal Democrats on Kent County CouncilThe Official Opposition on Kent County Council |
Weight of 245 Jumbo Jets Per Week In UK Packaging Waste - EDM 405 Condemned By Lib Dems
December 7, 2006 3:20 PM
Trudy Dean, Leader of the KCC Lib Dems today condemned the wording of the Early Day Motion (EDM no. 405) registered this week by Eric Illsley, Labour MP for Barnsley, supporting the UK packaging industry.
Trudy Dean stated "EDM 405 suggests that current packaging is safe and efficient…. reused and recycled… and that much of today's packaging is required by consumers".
Does EDM 405 consider the impact arising from the toxins and pollutants released at every stage in production and transportation? No!
Does EDM 405 consider how long the packaging will take to biodegrade or incinerate, or about how some products are just economically unviable to recycle in rich countries and instead are shipped out to pollute the third world? No!
Does EDM 405 consider the global food packaging industry is now worth $100bn-a-year, growing 10-15% each year and want to protect the UK interest in that industry? Probably!!!
Food packaging today is really about marketing, food producers care more about competing for shelf-space than environmental consequences. Anything between 10% and 50% of the price of food today can be down to its packaging. As the amount of rubbish produced increases, financial and environmental costs to our world also increase.
According to WasteOnline, UK households produce the equivalent weight of around 245 jumbo jets per week in packaging waste. In fact, 3.2m tonnes of the 26m tonnes of household waste produced annually comes from packaging.
Trudy declared "The Labour Party needs to consider the demands of shoppers - which are to drastically cut all unnecessary packaging and make the rest suitable and easier to be reused or recycled". She continued "I would urge all Kent residents to consider the wording of EDM 405 and to take action. This could be to contact their MPs and ask them not to sign their support of EDM 405".
EDM 405 reads "That this House recognises the significant contribution which the packaging industry makes to the UK economy particularly through the provision of safe, efficient and hygienic food supply chains; calls upon the Government to ensure that the UK has a healthy manufacturing base to protect against potential global threats to these essential supplies; further recognises the contribution made by the packaging industry to the efficient use of resources and their achievements in the reuse and recycling of those resources; and notes that much of today's packaging is required for consumers who continued to demand hygienic, safe, well preserved, clean, wholesome and fresh products delivered at their convenience".