22/11/2007

Around 1.3 million tonnes of household waste is produced in Wales each year and packaging makes up almost a fifth of it.

And with Christmas just around the corner, Anglesey Trading Standards officers are concerned that things are going to get even worse. In a bid to highlight the problem, Island residents are being urged to report examples of excessively packaged goods.

Although complaints are rare at present, officers hope that raising awareness in the run up to Christmas will encourage more people to voice concerns and help drive down the amount of excess waste produced.

Trading Standards enforce regulations that outlaw excessive packaging for all consumer goods including food or packaging used for postage. Examples of over-packaging include large boxes of packaging around small goods sent by post or several layers of packaging around the same product.

Principal Trading Standards Officer, David Owen, explained, "By raising awareness about this important issue we hope that people will really start thinking about whether all of the packaging that comes with goods they buy is really necessary. Some of the worst examples are businesses that sell products on the internet, with some using ridiculous amounts of packaging for products that are already well packaged."

He added, "In the weeks running up to Christmas, households buy lot of presents and other goods, either in shops or on the internet. We're urging Anglesey residents to look carefully at how these goods are packaged and let us know if they see examples of excessive packing. We can then investigate and hopefully improve the situation by working with and educating businesses. We will also encourage them to contact us for advice, but won't hesitate in enforcing the law if flagrant breaches are found."

Environment portfolio holder, Councillor John Williams, said, "Reducing waste is a major part of the Council's strategy to give us a cleaner, greener Anglesey. I hope that this new initiative to reduce waste will add impetus to the fine work already being undertaken by the Authority to reduce the amount going to landfill."

To raise concerns about excess packaging contact Anglesey Trading Standards on (01248) 752844 or email: tradingstandards@anglesey.gov.uk or telephone Consumer Direct Wales on 08454 040506.