5 minute read
Column: BHETA
Addressing the issues
Lobbying gets results, says BHETA’s chief operating officer Will Jones
We are in changing times with many developments which might have happened anyway now accelerated by the pandemic. Consumer concern about sustainability and climate change is high on the agenda, having been nowhere in any analyst’s top ten a decade ago. We can add other issues too – the transportation crisis, new import and export rules now being enforced, social issues at home, and so on. Alongside this, we have a government keen to be seen to be on top of things and turning to legislation as a means of trying to achieve that.
All these issues and their legislative consequences are being manifested variously in new taxes on plastics that are deemed single use, new legislation on the responsible retail of bladed items for legitimate kitchen employment, to mention just a couple. It is not that these issues are without foundation, quite the opposite. These are serious concerns and action to address them is wholly justifiable. It’s just that many are being addressed quickly and in less than perfect ways. If unchallenged, the result can be unjustified pressure on our sectors, ironically disincentivising companies from doing what they should be doing, which is supporting the greater good.
Over the past several months as the new Offensive Weapons Act (OWA) and the forthcoming Plastic Packaging Act (PPA) – in law from 1 April, 2022 – have come to the fore, we have seen companies in the kitchen and tableware sectors worried by what that means for them. After all, at time of writing all the following could fall into the scope of OWA: any kitchen knife regardless of size or design, cutlery knives, bread knives, butcher knives, including meat cleavers.
We will get clarification on this, but the key point that we have learnt is that no matter how right and legitimate the overall intent of a government position or piece of draft legislation is, it is always worth drilling down into the detail and challenging them if they seem unfair. Never assume you can have no effect – individually or collectively.
Probably the most important piece of advice for individual companies in these legislative times is to establish a relationship and then create an ongoing dialogue with their local MP from the outset as this will be helpful if an issue arises which needs challenge. BHETA has now lobbied very productively on the responsible retail of bladed items and on the scope of plastic packaging tax. In both cases, results have been achieved through a
Did you know?
The BHETA has lobbied on the forthcoming Plastic Packaging Act (PPA) which becomes law on 1 April, 2022. This is a £200 per tonne tax on plastic packaging which is less than 30 per cent recycled and it is designed to stimulate the market for recycled plastic packaging for which until now there has been no great demand.
About BHETA
The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) is the voice of authority on everything home improvement and home enhancement, including DIY, housewares, garden, small domestic appliances and home decor. It represents £5 billion at retail and 9,000 employees and brings together manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and opinion formers to drive growth at home and abroad. For more information about retailer and supplier co-operation, contact BHETA on 0121 237 1130, or email wj@bheta.co.uk, or visit the website at www.bheta.co.uk
combination of BHETA approaching the powers that be direct and at the same time enabling individual members to work locally or with their own political and legislative contacts using the templates which BHETA provides. Not only have important amendments to draft legislation been secured, but the collective action has also meant that BHETA and BHETA members can keep informed about exactly what they need to do on an up to the minute basis.
As an example, let’s take the forthcoming Plastic Packaging Act (PPA) which becomes law on 1 April, 2022. In a nutshell, this is a £200 per tonne tax on plastic packaging which is less than 30 per cent recycled and it is designed to stimulate the market for recycled plastic packaging for which until now there has been no great demand. Its scope and application is complicated however and BHETA has not only lobbied successfully to clarify key definitions such as ‘packaging’, but also teased out the details of other definitions, exemptions, timings and responsibilities so that members prepare appropriately. This has been with the help of individual member actions and the advice of BHETA business service provider, Wastepack who presented the latest information to members in early November.
The outcomes are twofold. In terms of BHETA lobbying, the nub of the issue was the inclusion in the original draft legislation of multiple use items that are used as containers – for example, drinks bottles, kitchen storage and lunch boxes. This not only seemed to run counter to the principle of minimising single use, disposable plastic, but was set to cost some BHETA members a possible £1million per annum in so-called ‘plastic tax’. BHETA’s campaign to address this anomaly was on the basis that multi-use is not ‘packaging’ and is indeed part of the armoury against single use plastic. The result was a total U-turn with ministers acknowledging that multi-use plastic should not be penalised by taxation. In practical terms this has saved members between £50 and £100 million pounds across the sector and refocussed minds on the real issues.
The PPA remains complicated even now it is purely focussed on packaging in the true sense, but BHETA has been able to provide members with the essential detail that enables them to understand their responsibilities and liabilities from 1 April next year. BHETA regularly lobbies on subjects affecting members. It also provides member training, retail events, up to the minute data on market opportunities compliance advice.
