Theresa May proposes plastic-free supermarket aisles in green strategy

Manchester Guardian ^ | Wed 10 Jan ‘18 17.30 EST | Peter Walker

[Olog-hai]

Theresa May is to announce a war on plastic waste, with proposed policies including plastics-free aisles in supermarkets and a tax on takeaway containers.

The prime minister will set out her ambition to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste within 25 years in a major speech on Thursday in which she will promise the UK will lead internationally on environmental issues. But campaign groups said the aspirations would need to be backed up by legislation.

They also warned that leaving the EU risked weakening environmental protections, and called for the government to promise it would not water down green standards in exchange for rapid post-Brexit trade deals.

May’s speech, unveiling a much-heralded 25-year plan for the environment in England, drawn up by Michael Gove’s environment department with input from pressure groups, is expected to focus heavily on plastic waste, which she calls “one of the great environmental scourges of our time”.

As reported before the speech, May will promise to extend the hugely successful 5p levy on plastic bags to smaller shops, and seek evidence on a possible charge on single-use plastic containers such as takeaway boxes. …

[ROCKLOBSTER]

It would cost me more in gas money to deliver them for a refund.

You just collect them and take in a few trash bags full all at once, when you're going to town anyway.

I haven’t turned in cans or plastic since the 70s.

WOW! You must have one hell of a pile.

[DoughtyOne]

Nope. I toss it in the recyclables and let other worry about it.

I don’t have many cans or plastic containers around.