11 March 2020

Developing sustainable plastic packaging: apply for funding

Businesses can apply for a share of up to £37m to support projects that look at ways to radically reduce waste from plastic packaging.

Around 80 million tonnes of plastic packaging is produced each year, and this is expected to triple by 2050. Most of it has a very short use, with 95 per cent lost to the economy. Between eight and 12 million tonnes ends up in the oceans and can remain there for centuries, harming wildlife and potentially entering the human food chain. Governments have recognised the need to address this national and global challenge.

The UK Government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge seeks to dramatically reduce plastic waste by 2025. It has up to £60m to invest in projects that aim to make the UK a leader in smart and sustainable plastic packaging. Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, has up to £37m from the fund to invest in demonstrators and early-stage projects investigating ways to reduce, reuse or recycle plastic packaging.