This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament

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Petition Tax disposable nappies & use the money to give parents a reusables starter kit.

Disposable nappies are currently zero rated for VAT. If instead a tax were added and the money raised used to fund a reusable starter pack of nappies for babies in the UK this could encourage parents to use reusable nappies thereby reducing landfill, ocean plastics and climate change.

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The UK disposes of 3 billion disposable nappies each year, which represents an estimated 2-3% of all household waste. It is estimated a single baby uses between 4000 and 6000 nappies by the time they are potty trained. The majority of these nappies are not biodegradable and are placed into household waste so go into landfill which is a major environmental concern. We urgently need action to address climate change and this could massively reduce landfill and encourage more sustainability.

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MPs call for ban on all plastic waste exports

MPs on the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee have called for a ban on the export of all plastic waste from the UK by 2027 to reduce the country's contribution to global plastic waste pollution. 

Read a summary of the Committee's report on plastic waste

Report on ending the impact of plastic waste

Earlier this month, the Committee published a report on the impact of plastic waste and ways of reducing it. In their report, MPs called on the Government to restrict the amount of plastic that can be exported from the UK. They also called on the Government to step up the enforcement of existing rules to prevent criminal gangs illegally exporting and dumping UK-produced waste. 

The report follows a series of evidence sessions earlier this year, where the Committee questions representatives from charities, environmental campaigners and commercial trade experts. At these sessions the Committee explored:

  • whether the Government’s current ambitions to reduce plastic waste were enough
  • how alternatives to plastic consumption can be identified and supported
  • how England's current plastic exports impact other countries.

Find out more about the Committee's inquiry into plastic waste and read oral evidence from the Committee's inquiry.

What is the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee? 

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is a cross-party group of backbench MPs that scrutinises the administration, spending and policy of the Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. 

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