GRAPHIC Packaging International (GPI), has welcomed MEP Amjad Bashir to its Leeds base to demonstrate the environmental advantages of cartonboard.
The visit was arranged as a joint venture between GPI and Pro Carton, the European association of carton and cartonboard producers, to promote education about sustainability.
Mr Bashir received a tour of the site to learn more about how the industry is helping to drive a circular economy.
Dean Naylor, GPI plant manager, Leeds, said, “Mr Bashir’s visit was a valuable opportunity to highlight the importance of our sector to a parliamentary representative and encourage advocacy. It is vital for luminaries such as GPI to champion our contribution to closed-loop recycling and to provide education about the need for greater legislative support.
“As an industry, we are often unable to scale up commercialisation of our eco-friendly product developments without capital investment. While the government has proposed plans for funding advancements in plastics, there is an absence of fiscal support for progressing suitable, green alternatives, so it is crucial for us to explore these issues with our MEPs.”
Tony Hitchin, Pro Carton general manager added, “The key to ensuring a viable packaging future is to secure investment in recycling infrastructure and change consumer behaviours. This can only be achieved with parliamentary backing and Mr Bashir’s interest is certainly a step in the right direction.”
