Contact/Cyswllt: Sian Cliff
02920 898342 / sian.cliff@wales.gov.uk

Speaking at the Welsh Liberal Democrat conference, Mick Bates AM promised to challenge the Plaid-Labour Government as the party backed radical plans to reduce excess packaging and improve waste management.

Measures approved at conference included a plastic bag tax that would fund council action to improve recycling, consumers to be given right of return of packaging to supermarkets and councils to have the power to offer discounts for households that throw out less waste.

Mick Bates, Environment Spokesperson for the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said:

“I believe that the ‘polluter pays’ principal can be very effective. Producers and supermarkets must be encouraged to use less packaging - we need to put responsibility for excess waste back in the hands of the producer and tackle causes from the very onset.

“Consumers need to be empowered to do more - we need to make use of the huge potential of supermarkets to help in the fight against climate change and support the right for consumers to return their packaging to the point of purchase.

“Plastic bags are an unnecessary waste. Britain uses nearly 17bn bags a year - we need to move away from this plastic based society and look at more sustainable options for the future.

“The plastic bag levy in Ireland has seen a 90% decrease in the number of bags used. Too often green taxes and policies don’t demonstrate their advantages. Ensuring that any revenue goes back into improving the local environment and increasing recycling facilities would be a win-win situation.

“People must be more responsible when disposing of their waste. We can reward households that produce less waste and recycle more. In the city of Lokeren in Belgium this approach means residents now recycle nearly 80% of their household waste.

“These types of solution touch the heart of the issue which is behavioural change. We need to change people’s perceptions of recycling if we are to see real progress towards our recycling targets. Financial incentives are a good way to drive public support.

“Waste must be managed sustainably with an integrated strategy that covers recycling and composting to energy from waste and landfill. Wales is ready to meet these challenges it faces but we need the policies there to support it.

“There is a current consensus on climate change and we need to take advantage of this and take action now. Following this vote at conference the Welsh Lib Dems will put forward our far-reaching and radical policies and challenge the Government to match our commitment to tackling climate change.”


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