"A green think tank has warned of the risk of unintended consequences from the wave of concern about plastics.
The Green Alliance, a parliamentary group, said plastics played a valuable role and couldn't be simply abolished.
It wants to transform the notion of a "War on Plastics" into a "War on Plastic Litter".
The group - like many environmentalists - gave a grudging welcome to Chancellor Philip Hammond's call for evidence on taxes on single use plastics.
- Plastics tax eyed in litter crackdown
- Plastic straws could be banned in UK
- The inventions cutting plastic consumption
- What are supermarkets doing to fight plastic?
But it warned that rejecting all plastic food packaging could prove counter-productive.
Agriculture is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, so reducing food waste is vital.
Well-packed food - perhaps in plastic - helps protect food from damage, so it can actually save on greenhouse gases.
Finite land
The other potential area of concern is the substitution of plastics with plant-based materials...
So where do solutions lie?
Green Alliance suggests:
Green Alliance suggests:
- Ban products that are unnecessarily made from plastic and likely to be littered, like cotton buds and straws (Scotland has already committed to this)
- Stop using so many different types of plastic - and ensure that all types used are easily recyclable
- Develop recycling markets for the materials that remain..."
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