Time to kick the habit on excess packaging - Pringle

10.54.50am GMT Mon 21st Dec 2009

Liberal Democrat MSP for Edinburgh South Mike Pringle has called on supermarkets, retailers and the public to act more responsibly in their use of packaging over Christmas and New Years.

The UK Government’s Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) says that families in the UK now spend some £470 on packaging each year – one sixth of their food budget.

Commenting, Mr Pringle said:

"Toy stores, supermarkets and all of us as individuals are guilty of using too much packaging, especially over Christmas and New Years.

"Gifts for friends and family, food for the table, cards and crackers all add up. Excess packaging surrounds all of these things.

"Meeting our recycling targets will never happen unless we all decide to kick the habit of using excess packaging.

"Tackling excess packaging must also be a central objective for OUR Governments.

"At Westminster Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson is leading the fight to change the law on packaging. But this doesn’t mean that the Scottish Government can wash its hands of this issue.

"Ministers must work with product designers and manufacturers to encourage them to use sustainable designs and materials.

"The SNP Government could also develop improved packaging guidelines and should make it easier for consumers to complain if they feel the packaging around products is unnecessary.”

Ends.

Notes to Editors:

The UK dumps 5 million tonnes of packaging each year – Scotland’s share of that is 1 million tonnes.