Lords urge Government action on packaging

The UK is "backward" by comparison with leading EC countries in its approach to packaging and protecting the environment from packaging waste, according to a report by the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities.¹ Although critical of key aspects of the proposed EC Directive on packaging waste, the Committee also urges the Government not to rely solely on voluntary initiatives by industry to deal with the problem. Economic instruments and pump-priming of a recovery and recycling infrastructure are needed to improve the UK's record.