Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail what steps his Department is taking to encourage reduction in the use of plastic packaging for unprocessed fruit and vegetables.
Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: My Department, alongside delivery partners in Great Britain, continues to oversee implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) scheme, which became operational in April 2025. The scheme encourages producers to reduce unnecessary packaging, increase recyclability, and support improved collection and recycling of packaging waste across the UK.
Officials continue to work closely to monitor the scheme’s effectiveness and to consider further measures to reduce unnecessary packaging, including on fruit and vegetables.
My Department also continues to support the UK Packaging Pact which aims to reduce the amount of problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging.
The UK Packaging Pact is led by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to bring together businesses, governments, recyclers and other industry stakeholders. This Pact aims to reduce unnecessary packaging, eliminate problematic materials, and increase recycled content.
My officials will continue to work with stakeholders across the supply chain to support the transition to more sustainable packaging practices.
ENDS
