PACKAGING PLEA COULD SLASH £74 MILLION FROM KIRKLEES SHOPPING BILLS (Kirklees Liberal Democrats)

Kirklees Liberal Democrats <info@kirkleeslibdems.org.uk>

PACKAGING PLEA COULD SLASH £74 MILLION FROM KIRKLEES SHOPPING BILLS

January 15, 2008 8:55 AM

Households across the Kirklees area spend a staggering £74 million of their food budget on packaging, according to research by recycling charity WRAP.

Households across the Kirklees area spend a staggering £74 million of their food budget on packaging, according to research by recycling charity WRAP. Lib Dem Councillors Ann Denham and Nicola Turner are putting a motion before Kirklees Council calling on the government to cut the amount of packaging used by manufacturers and shops - a move that could see shopping bills slashed.

Research by WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) shows that the cost of packaging makes up one-sixth of food bills. This is means around £470 per year for an average household. With almost 160,000 households in the Kirklees Council area, the total amount spent on packaging locally could be as high as £74 million.

Packaging also damages the environment by using energy and raw materials. Nationally, 4.6 million tons of packaging waste ends up in the bin - over 30,000 tons in Kirklees alone.

Councillor Ann Denham said "It is incredible that across our area we could be spending as much as £74 million on packaging, almost all of which ends up in the bin. We would all welcome cheaper food bills, and cutting back on packaging is one way to achieve this. We also know that most packaging gets thrown away, and much of it is not recyclable."

Cllr Nicola Turner (Colne Valley Ward) said "Not only do we pay for this packaging to be produced, we then pay through our council tax for the rubbish to be taken away! I hope all Councillors will back this motion, to put pressure on the government to tackle the problem of expensive waste."