A total of £276 million was collected by HMRC in 2022/2023 that went into Treasury coffers from the Plastic Packaging Tax.
Introduced in April 2022, the tax applies to companies that manufacture or import plastic packaging with less than 30% recycled content. They are taxed at £200 per tonne for material that does not meet the 30% content threshold.
According to HMRC, as of 8 August 2023, 4,142 companies are registered to the Plastic Packaging Tax.
From these, a total of 39% of plastic packaging manufactured in the UK or imported here was subject to the tax. Another 40% contained the required 30% content, while a further 21% was exported, intended for export or converted and therefore exempt. Less than 1% was exempt due to being for medical use.
Of the total decade, 52% was manufactured in the UK and the rest abroad.
A total of 3.5 million tonnes was declared, with 1.8 million of this was made in the UK.
