{"id":304429,"date":"2024-02-26T12:41:36","date_gmt":"2024-02-26T11:41:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=304429"},"modified":"2024-02-26T12:41:38","modified_gmt":"2024-02-26T11:41:38","slug":"shoppers-face-1bn-toaster-tax-under-plans-for-new-set-of-net-zero-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=304429","title":{"rendered":"Shoppers face \u00a31bn \u2018toaster tax\u2019 under plans for new set of net zero rules"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defra unveils plans to require larger shops to \u2018take back\u2019 used electrical items such as toasters for recycling even if bought elsewhere.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shoppers face a \u00a31 billion \u201ctoaster tax\u201d under plans for a new set of net zero rules, retailers and Conservative MPs have warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra<\/a>) has unveiled plans to require larger shops to \u201ctake back\u201d used electrical items such as toasters for recycling, even if the items were bought elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plans would also see online and high street retailers required to provide a \u201cfree of charge collection on delivery service\u201d under which they would have to take away a customer\u2019s old appliance, such as a washing machine, television or fridge, if they were delivering a new one. The Telegraph<\/a> has the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium<\/a>, told The Telegraph that the new requirements could cost firms \u201c\u00a31 billion or more\u201d per year \u2013 a figure that would be passed on to consumers via higher prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Government insists the measures are needed to avoid millions of household electrical items ending up in landfill each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plans are \u2018awful\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The plans threaten to reignite Tory rows over burdensome net zero regulations, which the Prime Minister promised to eschew in favour of a \u201cpragmatic and proportionate\u201d approach to decarbonising that would avoid undue pressures on households and businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Jones<\/a>, the Conservative MP and former Brexit minister, described the plans as \u201cawful\u201d and akin to a stealth \u201ctoaster tax\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An official analysis accompanying the Government\u2019s consultation document admits that the cost of the scheme, while paid upfront by retailers, \u201ccould then be passed back to consumers through higher prices\u201d \u2013 despite Downing Street insisting that its current focus is easing the \u201cpressures\u201d of the high cost of living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt will become an invisible charge that everybody pays,\u201d Ms Dickinson said, adding that, contrary to Mr Sunak<\/a>\u2019s pledge to take a \u201cpragmatic and proportionate\u201d approach to net zero, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel pragmatic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Government\u2019s consultation document setting out the planned changes \u2013 which would be rolled out from 2026\u00a0\u2013 states they are part of a series of measures that will \u201cinfluence the transition of the whole economy towards net zero\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Dickinson said: \u201cWe think [the bill would be] in the hundreds of millions of pounds plus, and could be \u00a31 billion or more.\u201d The cost would be borne by retailers rather than funded by revenue already raised via business rates and council tax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Jones added: \u201cThis is exactly the sort of burdensome regulation that we thought we were getting rid of when we left the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is an extraordinary imposition on businesses and the Government should have nothing to do with it. I think it is completely unreasonable that they should expect retailers to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Stores may stop selling electrical goods\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The most contentious proposal is for \u201cretailers with a turnover of over \u00a3100k of electrical sales each year to provide free takeback of unwanted electrical equipment in store without the need to purchase a new item\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Dickinson said some shops might simply stop selling electrical items in order to avoid being bound by the requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a large chemist sold electrical items such as hair tongs and hairdryers then they would be obliged to accept equivalent items bought at other shops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Dickinson said: \u201cIf retailers have to take in more than they sell, some who only sell small volumes may stop selling them at all and larger supermarkets may also reduce the ranges offered, both reducing choice for customers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richer Sounds, the television and hi-fi retailer,<\/a> warned that its 50 shops were already \u201cpacked to the rafters\u201d with stock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julie Abraham, the firm\u2019s chief executive, told The Telegraph that the chain did not have \u201chuge empty rooms for storing every broken TV, radio, and speaker that might be left in our stores under the proposed changes to the electrical recycling rules\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added: \u201cThis means we would have to increase collections from our stores in order to take away these items, increasing our carbon footprint and creating new costs to our business, the environment and ultimately our customers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018We can\u2019t do it for free\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The plans are also opposed by Currys<\/a>, with Alex Baldock, the chief executive, saying the firm\u2019s existing recycling policy meant that it accounted \u201cfor nearly half of all retail technology recycling in the UK\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking earlier this month, Mr Baldock warned that retailers were already only making \u00a33 on every \u00a3100, adding: \u201cWe can\u2019t do it for free.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the full story here<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shoppers face a \u00a31 billion \u201ctoaster tax\u201d under plans for a new set of net zero rules, retailers and Conservative MPs have warned.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":304433,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Shoppers face a \u00a31 billion \u201ctoaster tax\u201d under plans for a new set of net zero rules, retailers and Conservative MPs have 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