Staff at a Cwmbran business have shared their concerns about new legislation on waste packaging with Torfaen MP, Nick Thomas-Symonds.

He visited home meals delivery company, Wiltshire Farm Foods’ Cwmbran depot to see their new recycling system and hear their views about the UK Government’s extended producer responsibility (EPR). The legislation aims to help cut the growing problem of packaging waste by moving the waste and recycling costs of packaging from local councils to the businesses that produce it.

Wiltshire Farm Foods collects plastic trays from customers and these are recycled into new trays containing a minimum of 80% recycled plastic. The system means its trays don’t have to be collected by the council’s kerbside recycling teams.

But the business is concerned that following its investment in a recycling process, it will still fall under the proposed regulations and have to pay accordingly.

Lee Sheppard, director of policy for Wiltshire Farm Foods, says it is little more than another tax and the company is being penalised for doing the right thing and investing in responsible practice to support UK Government policy.

He said: “Whilst we fully support the principles of EPR, this is a missed opportunity for UK Government to address packaging waste in a way that rewards good behaviour and without adding cost to consumers.

“It’s disappointing that after years of operation, only 36% of UK plastic PTT (pots, tubs and trays) are collected from households and furthermore, 59% of those collections are actually sent abroad for processing with uncertain results. The reality is that some of it simply ends up in landfill.

“With our own system, after just one year of operation, we see far better collection rates closer to 50% and furthermore guarantee that 100% of the trays we collect are reformed into new trays – results far better than achieved through domestic recycling.”

Mr Thomas-Symonds said: “I was delighted to visit Wiltshire Farm Foods in Torfaen, they play an important role both as a local employer and by providing an essential service to many of my constituents.

“We all agree that we need to do much more to drive up recycling rates through legislation, but this needs to be developed co-operatively with companies such as Wiltshire Farm Foods.

“The Extended Producer Responsibility will only work with buy-in from the industry, so I hope the Minister considers carefully the points made by Wiltshire Farm Foods.”

Mr Sheppard added: “We implore the government to reconsider its EPR legislative proposals before it’s too late and customers who can ill afford to pay more are penalised”.

Wiltshire Farm Foods delivers its prepared meals to more than 150,000 customers nationwide with an estimated 7,564 people over 75 living in Torfaen.