Call for £50,000 fines for firms guilty of using excess packaging

They say firms which use oversize boxes or multiple layers of plastic are both fooling consumers and generating unnecessary waste.

They pointed to examples of excess packaging, including tubes of Jaffa cakes, luxury gateaux and bags of sweets, that are often filled with thin air.

The Trading Standards Institute (TSI) says the current regime is a toothless tiger which makes prosecutions near impossible.

Using excess packaging became an offence in 2003, however it is so riddled with loopholes that there have been just four prosecutions.

Demands for tougher action are supported by the National Federation of Women's Institutes, which has led a campaign against wasteful packaging.

This has involved shaming stores for the over-packaging of fruit and vegetables, such as shrink-wrapping bananas and even coconuts.

David Hedger, assistant head of trading standards in Northamptonshire, will give a presentation on the problems to the TSI annual conference in Manchester today.

He highlighted several products bought during a snapshot survey where the packaging appeared to be excessive, including the Jaffa Cakes.

Mr Hedger said: "About 20per cent of the tube is empty. When you stack the Jaffa cakes next to the tube the difference really is quite large.

"There is no obvious reasons as to why this is done, and it may be perfectly legitimate, but I have my suspicions."

He added: "There are examples of products where people can question why the packaging is so big. The question is, what purpose does it serve other than to look bigger on the shelf?"

Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) Environment Board, said: "The law which is supposed to ban excessive packaging is a toothless tiger.

"The fact that there have only been four successful prosecutions in the UK demonstrates the law simply isn't working.

"Local Authority Trading Standards Services find their hands tied by these regulations. There's no incentive for manufacturers to cut down on packaging because they know they can get away with it.

"Tougher laws must close the loopholes that make it easy for businesses to get off the hook."

He said the current maximum fine of £5,000 is a drop in the ocean for the companies guilty of these offences.

"Only serious fines will act as a genuine deterrent to over-packaging," he said.

"Councils are on the front line in the fight against climate change and need real power to take action against businesses that consistently over-package."

The TSI's lead officer on the environment, Ellen Morgan, said: "Consumers and campaigners are saying they want to see an end to excessive packaging - a view we share.

"However, the existing regulations are difficult and costly to enforce."

Chairman of the National Federation of WIs, Fay Mansell, said: "We have been calling on supermarkets to reduce excess packaging on food products for some time now. Although supermarkets have announced measures to reduce packaging, there is still a long way to go."