The plastic tax is doing exactly what it was built to do, and that’s the problem

By Mike Coppen-Gardner2026-10-31T11:24:00

Man Emptying Household Recycling Into Green Bin Getty

The UK’s overlapping packaging levies aren’t failing, they’re succeeding at being politically useful, which is why reform has to come from shoppers not Whitehall, says Mike Coppen-Gardner, founder and CEO of WeAreSPQR

Retailers and manufacturers have told government for years that the UK’s packaging regime is outdated and costly – and it has survived every complaint.

The plastic tax is doing exactly what it was built to do, and that’s the problem

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