MPs ‘lukewarm’ on interventions to reduce packaging waste, poll shows

The poll of 110 MPs, commissioned by Cavendish Consulting, was conducted in October as a representative sample with the results shared today (16 January).

This found that 49% of MPs who responded to the survey “support intervention to tackle single-use plastic packaging”, while 27% support intervention on single-use cardboard packaging.

Other headline figures include results that show 22% of MPs support intervention to curb the use of single-use metal packaging, while 16% of MPs support intervention on single-use glass packaging.

Parties

The polling has also revealed “clear dividing lines” between the Conservatives and Labour.

The poll results from Cavendish Consulting show that 72% of Labour MPs support measures to “intervene” to reduce single use plastics compared to 29% of  Conservative MPs.  However, the majority of Labour MPs do not support increased intervention to reduce the use of single-use cardboard (39%), metal (19%) and glass packaging (16%).

‘Unsupportive’

David Button, head of insight at Cavendish Consulting said: “Our polling clearly shows that MPs are generally unsupportive of either increasing taxes, or telling consumers and businesses what materials they can and can’t use.”

“Labour MPs are far more aligned with the general public on a lot of these issues, and while Labour are more likely to intervene on these issues it is unlikely policies that increase taxation or that seek to ban packaging waste will make their way into the party’s manifesto while consumers are still experiencing the cost of living crisis.”