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

Part 2 - Other single-use plastic products

40. The second section of this call for evidence focuses on other single-use plastic products supplied in Scotland.

41. Evidence is also requested on the alternatives to single-use plastic products. This will help support the move away from the current linear consumption model of take, make and consume to a circular economy approach that promotes re-use, repair and recycling to reduce waste and move to a more circular economy.

42. The other single-use plastic items included in this call for evidence are:

• plastic bowls, trays and platters;
• period and incontinence products including plastic tampon applicators and incontinence pads;
• plastic sachets e.g. condiment sachets used in hospitality settings;
• plastic tobacco filters; and
• plastic packaging on fruit and vegetables.

43. These products are some of the most high profile and problematic single-use plastic products in Scotland. They have been chosen because of a range of factors including, public interest in action being taken, their environmental impact and the drive to move to a more circular economy.

44. Many of these products are often incorrectly disposed of and are not suitable, or not easily captured, for recycling. The evidence gathered through this process will help the Scottish Government evaluate options to tackle the environmental impact of these products more effectively.

Single-use plastic bowls, trays and platters

45. Single-use plastic bowls, trays and platters were considered for inclusion in the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products and Oxo-degradable Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021. However, following extensive stakeholder engagement it was decided that these products should be considered in tandem with work to reduce consumption of single-use food containers, due to the similarity in properties and form of the products.

46. There is a wide variety of products that could be considered a single-use plastic bowl, tray or platter and, bearing in mind that single-use plastic plates are included under the provisions in the single-use plastic regulations, products that are explicitly named bowl, tray or platter or that are similarly shaped and serve the same function, that are not food containers, meet the definition required for this call for evidence.

Single-use plastic period and incontinence products

47. The single-use period and incontinence products included in this call for evidence are plastic tampon applicators and period/incontinence pads. These were amongst the most common products that which respondents wanted to see action taken on in the Scottish Government's 2021 market restrictions on single-use plastic items consultation^[18].

48. There was widespread support among individuals, and some organisations^[19] for market restrictions to be applied to plastic tampon applicators. Some also suggested this should be extended to other single-use period and incontinence products containing plastic, and that single-use period products should not be sold in plastic packaging. Respondents noted that these items were major contributors to beach littering and marine pollution^[20], and that effective alternatives were available, either in the form of non-applicator or cardboard-applicator tampons, or as reusable products. They also suggested that a ban would drive the development of improved and more sustainable products.

Single-use plastic sachets

49. Single-use plastic sachets are a form of packaging used to package single servings of a product. These include sachets used for food and drink, for example milk, salad dressing used in on-the-go salads, condiments and those used for cosmetics and healthcare.

50. Single-use plastic sachets are not likely to be recycled due to their small size and the level of contamination from food. Incorrect disposal of them can cause significant environmental harm.

51. The public has already shown support for the government taking action, with a recent UK Government call for evidence highlighting a One Poll survey of 2,000 Britons finding that almost eight in ten Britons surveyed said plastic sample sachets should be banned in the UK.

52. We are also inviting evidence on alternatives to single-use plastic food sachets, this could include sachets made from non-plastic materials that are also single-use.

Single-use plastic tobacco filters

53. Plastic tobacco filters can be sold separately or as part of a tobacco product such as a cigarette. The majority of the cigarette butts discarded each year in Scotland are made of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic, which when littered takes years to degrade into progressively smaller pieces, leaching toxins into the environment as it does so^[21]. This means cigarette butts could remain as litter on Scottish streets for up to twelve years^[22].

54. Seven in ten respondents to the Keep Scotland Beautiful Litter Survey believe that litter is a problem locally, and 88% believe that it is a problem nationally^[23]. Cigarette related products are amongst the most common types of litter in Scotland. Around half of Scotland's streets are affected by smoking-related litter (butts, matches and packaging). In our towns and cities, this figure rises to almost 75%^[24].

55. Article 8(3) of the EU Single-use Plastics Directive requires that extended producer responsibility schemes are established for single-use plastic tobacco products with filters and filters marketed for use in combination with tobacco products. Any action taken by the Scottish Government on these products will take into consideration the commitment to align with or go further than the standards of the Directive.

Single-use plastic packaging on fruit and vegetables

56. Plastic packaging refers to the packaging the fruit and vegetables are sold to retailers in. This includes flexible packaging such as the plastic produce such as broccoli or cucumbers are sold in and more rigid containers that produce such as grapes can be sold in.

57. Reducing plastic packaging on fruit and vegetables could simultaneously reduce plastic waste and food waste in Scotland. A recent report by WRAP^[25] showed that removing plastic packaging can help consumers buy the right amount of food for their needs and reduce food waste.

58. Although some retailers have taken action to reduce waste on plastic packaging, such as providing collection points for recycling in store, this exercise is asking for evidence of further action that could be taken.

Other single-use plastic products – Questions

59. The call for evidence questions related the other single-use items covered in Part 2 of this paper are set out below.

• Question 7 - Do you have any evidence of the environmental impact of the single-use items set out in Part 2 of the call for evidence paper?

• a. Single-use plastic bowls, trays and platters;
• b. Single-use plastic period and incontinence products;
• c. Single-use plastic sachets;
• d. Single-use plastic tobacco filters; and
• e. Single-use plastic packaging on fruit and vegetables.

• Question 8 - Do you have any evidence of the size and nature of the market for the single-use items set out in Part 2 of the call for evidence paper?

• a. Single-use plastic bowls, trays and platters;
• b. Single-use plastic period and incontinence products;
• c. Single-use plastic sachets;
• d. Single-use plastic tobacco filters; and
• e. Single-use plastic packaging on fruit and vegetables.

• Question 9 - Do you have any evidence on what alternatives to single-use items set out in Part 2 of the call for evidence paper are available and any negative impacts (environmental or other) that increased use of these alternatives could have?

• a. Single-use plastic bowls, trays and platters;
• b. Single-use plastic period and incontinence products;
• c. Single-use plastic sachets;
• d. Single-use plastic tobacco filters; and
• e. Single-use plastic packaging on fruit and vegetables.

• Question 10 - Do you have any evidence of effective action taken to reduce the consumption of the single-use items set out in Part 2 of the call for evidence paper?

• a. Single-use plastic bowls, trays and platters;
• b. Single-use plastic period and incontinence products;
• c. Single-use plastic sachets;
• d. Single-use plastic tobacco filters; and
• e. Single-use plastic packaging on fruit and vegetables.

• Question 11 - Do you have any evidence related to barriers to implementing policy measures to reduce the consumption of the single-use items set out in Part 2 of the call for evidence paper?

• a. Single-use plastic bowls, trays and platters;
• b. Single-use plastic period and incontinence products;
• c. Single-use plastic sachets;
• d. Single-use plastic tobacco filters; and
• e. Single-use plastic packaging on fruit and vegetables.

• Question 12 - Do you have any evidence related to the impact on businesses (positive or negative) of policy measures to reduce the consumption of the single-use items set out in Part 2 of the call for evidence paper?

• a. Single-use plastic bowls, trays and platters;
• b. Single-use plastic period and incontinence products;
• c. Single-use plastic sachets;
• d. Single-use plastic tobacco filters; and
• e. Single-use plastic packaging on fruit and vegetables.

• Question 13 - Do you have any evidence of the impact that policy measures to reduce the consumption of the single-use items set out in Part 2 might have on people with protected characteristics or who experience socio-economic disadvantage of the call for evidence paper?

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.

• a. Single-use plastic bowls, trays and platters;
• b. Single-use plastic period and incontinence products;
• c. Single-use plastic sachets;
• d. Single-use plastic tobacco filters; and
• e. Single-use plastic packaging on fruit and vegetables.

60. Question 13 is the final question of this call for evidence. You can access and respond online to this call for evidence at Call for Evidence: Single-use Food Containers and Other Single-use Items.

If you have any questions about this exercise, please send them to SUPD@gov.scot

The Respondent Information Form is avalable in the supporting files.