Supermarkets Should Reduce Packaging, say Lib Dems

3.14.01pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 7th Apr 2009

County Liberal Democrats today successfully persuaded the County Council to act to help ensure that supermarkets reduce the amount of packaging they produce that cannot be recycled. The Council also agreed to ask the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership - of which it is part - to support retail outlets that use less packaging overall or more recyclable packaging, such as farmers' markets.

Cllr Alan Armitage said, "Waste from packaging supplied by supermarkets is expected to cost some £1.8 billion in landfill taxes in the three years from 2008 to 2011. I know, from my own experience, that when my family and I have taken out all the glass, plastics and cardboard that can be recycled, and composted our food waste, most of what is left is non recyclable packaging.

"We need less non-recyclable packaging to cut costs that ultimately fall on the taxpayer and to help the environment. I applaud those efforts that have already been made by some outlets - but this is very patchy. We need now to put more pressure on the big supermarkets to take this seriously, and I am pleased that the County Council is taking this issue up."

Cllr Armitage's motion was passed unanimously.