Supermarkets face recycling criticism

The Liberal Democrats have criticised supermarkets after a Local Government Association (LGA) study found that 38 per cent of packaging is not recyclable.

It is just two per cent less than the LGA's first survey found in October 2007.

Paul Bettison, chairman of the LGA environment board, said: "The days of the cling film coconut must come to an end.

"We all have a responsibility to reduce the amount of waste being thrown into landfill, which is damaging the environment and contributing to climate change.

"Families will be pleased to see that more packaging in their shopping baskets can now be recycled. However, this survey shows there is still a lot further to go.

"Reducing packaging is vital if we are to avoid paying more landfill tax and EU fines, which could lead to cuts in frontline services and increases in council tax."

Councils have to pay £32 in tax for every tonne of rubbish that is sent to landfill. That figure will rise to £48 per tonne by 2010. In addition, from 2010 councils face EU fines of £150 for every tonne that is dumped, which could cost an estimated £200m by 2013.

Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Steve Webb said: "Consumers are told to sort and cut down on their household waste only to come back from the supermarket with mounds of unnecessary packaging which cannot be recycled.
 
"This survey shows how much further we still have to go to eliminate unnecessary waste and make sure that all packaging is recyclable.
 
"While markets and local stores are performing far better on reducing waste packaging, the supermarket giants are lagging behind. 
 
"It is time that the supermarkets used their huge market power with their suppliers to demand dramatic improvements in cutting out unnecessary packaging and increasing the proportion that can be recycled."