Competition launches to get businesses to use less plastics

Environmental groups have launched a competition to encourage industries to stop discarding plastic.

The £1.4m initiative comes as the inaugural meeting of the UK plastics pact took place which more than 150 delegates attended.

The competition is managed by Waste and Resources Action Plan (Wrap) working in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

It forms part of the £20 million Plastic Research and Innovation fund (PRIF) which was announced by the chancellor in 2017. It aims to engage Britain’s best scientists and innovators to help move the country towards more circular economic and sustainable approaches to plastics.

New research and guidance was introduced at the meeting which addresses key issues around plastic packaging, including how to make it more recyclable.

It also laid out the draft actions for the UK plastics pact roadshow which will help achieve the ambitious 2025 pact targets, around recyclability and elimination of unnecessary packaging.

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, who attended the event said: “Zero Waste Scotland wants to see excess packaging minimised wherever possible, and that, with regard to plastics, it’s made from recycled material and is fully recyclable for people when they get it home.”

Competition grants will be awarded under the UK Circular Plastics Flagship Projects Competition to applicants who demonstrate creative business ideas to reduce the environmental impacts of plastic, and which bring greater circularity in the use of plastic.

It is open to any UK business with fresh ideas to tackle the issue of plastic waste. Grants will be awarded for between £100,000 and £500,000 subject to match-funding.