Single-use food containers and other single-use items: call for evidence

Part 1 - Single-use food containers

34. The first section of this call for evidence focuses on single-use food containers, with a particular interest in single-use plastic food containers as part of our drive to reduce the environmental impact of single-use plastic items.

35. While our focus is on tackling single-use plastic food containers, we are also interested in evidence on non-plastic single-use food containers. This information will help inform future decisions to implement measures in line with waste hierarchy principles of prioritising prevention and re-use over recycling and disposal to tackle consumption of single-use food containers in general.

36. The definition of food containers used for this call for evidence is:

Receptacles such as boxes, with or without a cover, used to contain food which:

• is intended for immediate consumption, either on-the-spot or take-away;
• is typically consumed from the receptacle; and
• is ready to be consumed without any further preparation, such as cooking, boiling or heating.

This includes food containers used for fast food or other meal ready for immediate consumption, except beverage containers, plates and packets and wrappers containing food.

37. The Scottish Government is committed to align with or go further than the standards of the EU Single-use Plastics Directive to tackle the ten single-use plastic items most commonly found on Europe's beaches^[17], including single-use food containers. Action has already been taken on single-use food containers made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) through the single-use plastic regulations as part of work to align with Article 5 of the Directive. The manufacture and supply of single-use EPS food containers is banned in Scotland from 1 June 2022, subject to the impact of the UK Internal Market Act 2020. Single-use EPS food containers are therefore not included in the scope of this call for evidence.

38. Article 4 of the EU Single-use Plastics Directive requires measures to be put in place to achieve an ambitious and sustained reduction in the consumption of single-use plastic food containers. Evidence provided in answer to the questions below will help shape policy decisions to achieve this commitment.

39. There are six questions relating to single-use food containers. These questions will help us understand:

• the environmental impact of single-use food containers;
• the market for these products in Scotland;
• the impact of any measures taken to reduce consumption of single-use food containers;
• barriers to implementing policy measures; and
• the impact policy measures could have on people and businesses.

• Question 1. Do you have any evidence of the environmental impact of single-use (plastic or non-plastic) food containers?

• Question 2. Do you have any evidence of the size and nature of the single-use (plastic and non-plastic) food containers market in Scotland?

The evidence could include how many single-use food containers are used in Scotland, how many are manufactured in Scotland and what types of single-use food containers are used in Scotland.

• Question 3. Do you have any evidence of effective actions taken in Scotland or other nations to reduce consumption of single-use (plastic or non-plastic) food containers?

• Question 4. Do you have any evidence of barriers to implementing policy measures to reduce the consumption of single-use food containers?

• Question 5. Do you have any evidence related to the impact on businesses (positive or negative) that policy measures to reduce the consumption of single-use food containers could have?

• Question 6. Do you have any evidence of the impact that policy measures to reduce the consumption of single-use food containers might have on people with protected characteristics or who experience socio-economic disadvantage?

The protected characteristics laid down by the Equality Act 2020 are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Your answer might also include evidence of where single-use food containers are considered essential.