Closed petition Ban all black plastic that cannot be detected by NIR (recycling) technology.

Closed on 24 March 2021

While a tiny proportion of specialised black plastics can be recycled, the vast majority cannot. Some major supermarkets have agreed to ban its use but the government should prevent ANY business from producing or selling this destructive material. At least 10,000 tonnes are still produced each year.

According to the British Plastics Federation a cross-industry group committed to 'Finding sustainable solutions by the end of 2018 that will enable the recycling of all black plastic'. This has not happened. The world cannot wait for the arduous and difficult process of making black plastic recyclable simply because it 'makes food look more appealing'. Its use is cosmetic. The UK government should lead the way by banning the production of unrecyclable black plastics by the end of this year.