To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to increase consumer awareness of (i) the impact of degradable plastics on the environment; and (ii) how best to dispose of degradable plastics.

DAERA is in the process of developing future plastics policy for Northern Ireland, including a plan to eliminate plastic pollution and is working with the other UK administrations to determine the best approaches and the most sustainable methods of consumption, recycling and disposal of plastics for the whole of the UK.

My Department is partnering with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful (KNIB) and Sustainable NI in a Tackling Plastic project that is working with schools, businesses, councils and with the public sector on raising consumer awareness and changing behaviours around all types of single use plastics. Whilst bio-plastics may have less impact on the environment, they still use resources and remain part of the plastic pollution problem.

As a member of The UK Plastics Pact DAERA is working with industry partners across the supply chain to eliminate problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging items and working to deliver on 4 key commitments for change by 2025. Although bio-degradable plastics are generally not designed for home composting, these commitments should help develop infrastructure to provide solutions to ensure bio-degradable plastics can be collected and composted. Life cycle analyses of biodegradables and alternatives to plastic are also being worked on by officials to ensure that we are making the right decisions and promoting resources that are truly sustainable in the long term.

I am working with my officials to introduce measures for Northern Ireland for the removal of 9 different single use items (including oxo-degradable plastics) in line with other UK administrations and it is my aim to bring the measures before the Assembly within the current mandate. Officials are also looking at resourcing work on further measures to address the impacts of plastics in line with significant elements of the EU Single Use Plastic Directive all of which will support the New Decade, New Approach commitment on plastics.