Government confirms plans to introduce ‘world-leading' plastic tax by 2022

The government has confirmed its intention to introduce a "world-leading" tax on plastic before 2022.

The consultation had received feedback detailing the technical challenges that will be faced by food preparation and medical businesses, for whom any plastic must meet regulatory approval standards.

UKHospitality has warned of the increased cost such moves could impose on the industry and criticised the department's decision to release the news on the day the new Conservative leader was announced.

Chief executive Kate Nicholls said: "It is disappointing to see the government outline its next steps yesterday when all eyes were elsewhere. With the confirmation of a new prime minister grabbing headlines, it seems like a classic case of burying bad news. If the government is serious about engaging with businesses to find workable solutions to cut waste, then we would hope they would be honest with the public about the cost involved.

"Any deposit return scheme needs to be consistent across the whole United Kingdom. There is still a worry that the scope of the scheme may be unwieldy for hospitality outlets. Including coffee cups, would likely be a logistical nightmare and the government needs to provide more clarity on this.

"Any additional requirement for businesses to separate waste materials will mean an additional burden. This needs to be met with a higher level of service of waste collection.

"We are very happy to engage and to promote reduction of waste among our members and the hospitality sector as a whole. Arguably rushing the news out under cover of darkness does nobody any favours and we need to see a more open approach from the new administration."

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