According to new UK regulations, businesses will be accountable for clean-up costs if their packaging is littered. They will be penalized as well if their waste is difficult to recycle or if they do not fulfill their recycling targets. The waste-cutting measures, which will go into force in 2024, are part of the Welsh government’s waste-cutting efforts. Wales is ranked third in the world for household recycling, and the Welsh government has set a goal of reusing or recycling all waste by 2050. The new “polluter pays” policies, which are currently being implemented across the United Kingdom, would shift the burden of dealing with packaging rubbish from households to corporations. Ministers hope that by doing so, firms would be encouraged to use less packaging and materials that are more easily recyclable.

In Wales and Scotland, businesses that are responsible for the most often littered products will face penalties as well. The money raised would go toward improving kerbside garbage collection. Deputy climate change minister Lee Waters said, “We’re proud to be introducing these landmark changes which will lead producers to think about the packaging they are putting on the market and help to incentivize recycling, alongside our fellow governments in the UK.”