Solinatra, a UK-based biodegradable product company located near Norwich, is considering relocating outside the UK.
This is due to an impending government ban on single-use plastics, which includes their compostable alternatives.
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The ban, spearheaded by Environment Secretary Therese Coffey, will come into effect in October.
SurgeZirc NG learned that the ban will encompass all sustainable single-use alternatives to plastic, including bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics.
This was disclosed by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has called for a review of the ban.
Solinatra Co-founder, Simon Girdlestone, expressed his dismay, stating that the legislation “doesn’t make sense.”
“We were expecting a ban on single-use plastics – it’s the whole reason we were developing Solinatra,” he told the press.
“What we didn’t expect is that we would be caught up and be banned along with fossil-based plastics.
“We’ve developed a solution that is clean, that is naturally biodegradable, and yet Defra has decided to group us along with the polluting plastics.”
Solinatra had invested significant time and effort to secure a £500,000 government funding through ‘Innovate UK’ to create materials that will now be prohibited.
Girdlestone lamented the missed opportunity for job creation and the export potential that Solinatra’s products could have brought to Norfolk and the UK.
Candy Richards, development manager at the FSB, emphasized the need for the government to engage with firms like Solinatra, recognizing them as part of the solution to plastic pollution.
The FSB highlighted the case of another member company in Wales, which was offered incentives to relocate to Canada due to similar circumstances.
In response, a spokesperson from Defra stressed the necessity of urgent action to prevent plastic waste from polluting the natural environment.
He said: “Urgent action is required to stop plastic waste finding its way into the natural environment.
“We have already banned many commonly littered single-use plastic items and are introducing a deposit return scheme for drinks containers, as well as extended producer responsibility for packaging.”
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As the clock ticks towards the ban’s implementation, Solinatra and the FSB urge the government to reevaluate the inclusion of biomaterials in the legislation.
They argue that sustainable and green technologies should be embraced to position the UK as a leader in sustainability.
