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Principles, policies and practice: evaluating the environmental sustainability of Britain's packaging regulations
Author(s) -
Bailey Ian
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
sustainable development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.115
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1099-1719
pISSN - 0968-0802
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1719(200002)8:1<51::aid-sd125>3.0.co;2-6
Subject(s) - sustainability , business , environmental policy , environmental planning , environmental resource management , economics , environmental science , ecology , biology
This paper examines recent developments in the UK packaging regulations, legislation transposing the European Union Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC). It explores the way in which the UK regulations have adopted market‐based environmental policies, including the use of economic instruments. The environmental benefits gained from the market‐based approach are assessed against the policy principles adopted within the EU environmental programme. The study finds evidence that UK policy is moving towards greater adherence to these principles engineered by a combination of market factors and government intervention. Nonetheless, certain elements of the market show fewer signs of developing environmentally sustainable structures, with little evidence of sustained demand for recycled packaging and considerable uncertainty over levels of public awareness. The government must therefore play a leading role in honing policies if the regulations are to fulfil the EU's policy principles more fully in the future. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment