The British Plastics Federation Recycling Group has warned the Government that excluding biodegradable plastic bags from the carrier bag levy would have “catastrophic consequences for the UK recycling industry”.
BPFRG claims the compromising effects of biodegradable bags on the entire waste stream seriously threatens household film recycling.
It says that biodegradable plastic of whatever kind cannot be recycled along with conventional plastics without catastrophic effects.
BPFRG believes that the two streams would have to be kept separate and since there is little obvious difference between the plastics, risks confusing the public.
Regain Polymers purchasing director Bernard Chase said: “Since most recycled material goes into long term products, who in their right mind would continue to specify recycled content once degradable plastic was routinely present in the waste stream?”
