Government formally to respond to the National Infrastructure Assessment

Between January and July 2019, the government will respond to the National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA) prepared by the National Infrastructure Commission (the Commission) and set out the recommendations which are to be taken forward.

Why does it matter?

One of the focuses in the NIA was on how we can recycle more and incinerate less. The Commission set out a number of recommendations to help achieve this:

• clear two symbol labelling (recyclable or not recyclable) on packaging across the UK by 2022
  
  
• restrictions on the use of hard-to-recycle plastic packaging (such as PVC and polysterene) by 2025
  
  
• incentives to reduce packaging and for product design that is more easily recyclable by 2022
  
  
• a common data reporting framework for businesses handling commercial and industrial waste by the end of 2019, ideally through voluntary reporting but if necessary by legislation.