GOVERNMENT SHOULD PUBLISH HOW MUCH WASTE SUPERMARKETS ARE PRODUCING EACH YEAR SAY LIB DEM GROUP - AND WHY ON EARTH ARE SUPERMARKETS SHRINK WRAPPING SWEDES? (Kirklees Liberal Democrats)

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

GOVERNMENT SHOULD PUBLISH HOW MUCH WASTE SUPERMARKETS ARE PRODUCING EACH YEAR SAY LIB DEM GROUP - AND WHY ON EARTH ARE SUPERMARKETS SHRINK WRAPPING SWEDES?

July 29, 2009 10:04 PM

GOVERNMENT SHOULD PUBLISH HOW MUCH WASTE SUPERMARKETS ARE PRODUCING EACH YEAR SAY LIB DEM GROUP

Kirklees Lib Dem Group has submitted a motion for debate at the next meeting of Kirklees Council (29th) which calls for the Government to publish for public scrutiny the amounts of waste packaging being produced by major Supermarkets each year.

The Government's Waste Reduction Body WRAP receives statements from the supermarkets each year but does not publish the information.

The Lib Dem Council Group thinks that making the information public will force supermarkets to take the issue seriously and allow shoppers the opportunity to make an advised decision on where to shop in line with their environmental concerns.

And this is not just an environmental issue, the disposal of waste packaging is a big cost for local authorities. It is estimated that between 2008 and 2011 the bill will peak at £1.8 billion pounds nationally.

Cllr Nicola Turner (Lib Dem for Colne Valley Ward) is leading the motion.

She said:

"What is the point of the Government collecting this information from the supermarkets if they keep it to themselves? It protects the supermarkets and their practices from public scrutiny and allows them to treat the amount of packaging they create as a minor concern. There is massive public interest now in the environment and lots of people are making decisions about what they buy based on things like air miles and free trade. The Government should make information available to the public so that they can make an advised choice about where they go to shop.

The practices of some supermarkets at the moment shows how little consideration they give to the pressures they are piling on the tax payers who have to pay twice when they shop with them. Once to buy their food; and again through their taxes to dispose of the waste.

I mean ridiculous practices such as shrink wrapping Swedes and turnips are typical of the "pack everything" attitude held by some retailers. You don't see this across Europe and there is no reason why Brits should demand that their vegetables and fruits are wrapped in plastic. If the Government has this information and is serious about being tough with the supermarkets, they should publish it now."

The motion resolves to instruct the Chief Executive to write to Hilary Benn (Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) urging him to instruct WRAP to publish the information.