Debate: MPs to debate plastic-free packaging for fruit and vegetables
8 November 2018
- Watch Parliament TV
- Read the debate transcript
- Read the House of Commons library briefing
- View the petition and the Government response
MPs to debate plastic-free packaging for fruit and vegetables
On Monday 12 November MPs will debate a petition urging the Government to “make supermarkets offer an option of no packageng or eco-friendly packaging for each item of fresh fruit and vegetables they sell.”
The debate will start at 4.30pm and will be opened by Steve Double MP, a member of the Petitions Committee.
The petition, which has more than 123,000 signatures, states that this is necessary due to “the problem of an ever-increasing amount of plastic waste polluting our environment.”
In response to the petition, the Government said:
Monday's debate will provide an opportunity for MPs to question a Government Minister directly on this topic.“We are working with retailers and the Waste and Resources Action Programme to explore the potential for the introduction of plastic-free initiatives in supermarkets in which fresh food is sold loose.”
What will the petition debate achieve?
These debates help to raise the profile of a campaign and could influence decision-making in Government and Parliament.
Petition debates in Westminster Hall cannot directly change the law or result in a vote to implement the request of the petition.
Creating new laws, or changing existing ones, can only be done through the parliamentary legislative process which involves a number of debates, and detailed consideration of the law in draft, in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.