UK Packaging Levy Prompts Union Warning of 4,752 Glass Jobs at Risk and Government Review

The GMB union warned that Labour’s Extended Producer Responsibility scheme could put at least 4,752 jobs in Britain’s glass manufacturing industry at risk. GB News reported that the scheme requires brands and retailers to cover the cost of collecting, sorting and recycling the packaging they place on the market, with fees calculated according to the weight of materials.

Glass containers face higher charges than lighter alternatives under the rules.

The British Beer and Pub Association estimates the levy costs the brewing industry £124 million a year and adds around six pence to the cost of every 500-millilitre glass bottle. Industry figures state that Britain now has the highest packaging fees in Europe.

Andy Belfield, regional secretary at GMB, said British workers are seeing their jobs put at risk as providers move away from British glass bottle production.

He added that these are good, well-paid jobs in industrial heartlands that Britain cannot afford to lose. The union called on the Government to stop the glass tax and protect the livelihoods of the workforce and their communities. Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said the exorbitant fees are wiping out the slender profit brewers make on a bottle of beer.

She described the scheme as creating sky-high bills for glass and another crushing cost that brewers are forced to bear, and called for a review of the policy. During debate, Minister Mary Creagh said the Government would launch a new call for evidence inviting industry representatives to submit further information on the impact of the scheme.