The Big Plastic Count 2024 reveals what happens to our plastic
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- čas přidán 15. 04. 2024
- We put our plastic waste in the right bin and assume it’s being taken care of, right? Well, today, we can reveal that the majority of the pieces we throw away are being set on fire right here in the UK.
These are the findings from The Big Plastic Count this year. An incredible 224,381 citizen scientists from 77,783 households took part, including almost 29,000 school pupils.
Here’s what we found:
UK households are throwing away an estimated 1.7 billion pieces of plastic packaging every week. That’s 90 billion pieces a year.
If you counted all the plastic packaging the UK uses in one week, one second at a time, it would take you 53 years and 7 months.
The most counted category was snack packaging (699,932 pieces), closely followed by fruit and vegetable packaging (697,085 pieces).
Over half (58%) of the pieces are being incinerated - that’s up from 46% when we did the count in 2022.
Only 17% would get recycled, 14% would be exported and 11% would end up in landfill.
The UK produces more plastic waste per person than almost any other nation - second only to the US.
These findings reveal both the tidal wave of plastic packaging entering our homes each week and the government’s irresponsible way of dealing with it all.
That’s why we’re urging the government, brands, and supermarkets to support a strong, legally binding Global Plastics Treaty to cut plastic production by 75% by 2040.
Tell the government it’s time for action. Email your MP and ask them to sign a pledge for a strong Global Plastics Treaty: act.gp/3UzwvXl
Synopsis:
The video shows the results of The Big Plastic Count. It talks about how governments love cutting stuff, so why can't they cut plastic production?
There are lots of shots of plastic being produced, and lots of plastic waste.
It then shows a household who have been doing their bit to recycle for years, and now it's time for big brands and supermarkets to do theirs. It also illustrates the fact that some people need plastic to live independently.
This is followed by the results - just 17% recycled, 14% exported, 11% sent to landfill and 58% of the pieces we throw away are burnt.
It then focuses on the solutions - a young women emails her MP to ask the government to cut plastic production. It shows that the Global Plastics Treaty is the opportunity to cut plastic production.
How does this compare to the figures from last year, I wonder?
Why are fruit and vegetables in plastic cheaper than loose ones? Why can't multipacks of items such as crisps, nappies and sanitary towels be sold in cardboard boxes rather than plastic ones?
Even cardboard boxes are ridiculous. I unpacked a (average-sized) computer and filled two bags with the cardboard - one use and back to recycling. Far too elaborate a packing complex. Don't know the answer though. Maybe we should all own clever suitcases that we take to buy big purchases with. Yeh, that could work. And the old computers should be recycled for their parts. Like the good old days, we need to reverse so quickly! At 76, I hate throwing anything away but we need more imaginative services to recycle and preserve.
I suspect the fruit and veg in plastic might be from suppliers further away where they know they can get a decent price and the loose produce more local with less price competition?
Amazon can be terrible for using too much cardboard. Ive had a couple of button cell batteries sent in a box that you could fit a 10 inch pizza in.
@@steveb60879 That is one of the many reason I won't use Amazon for anything
@stevebarker6087 amazon give you the option with packaging now which is more than any other place we buy from do.
So we have recycling trucks with slogans saying 'Yes it all get's recycled' but 58% is incinerated. Why?
Drowning in plastic, it’s scary
I think there is a reluctance to ditch packaging especially plastic becuase the companies that produce the raw plastics and the plastic packaging manufacturers will lose out wont they.
I bet supermarkets say they charge more for loose fruit and veg due to handling costs or to cover stuff that goes off before its sold. They want you to have packaged stuff becuase its in their interests not ours.
Is always to do with who funds things are who makes money and who invests. Like government who have investments employees who fund, lobby or invest in things like drug companies
Consumers do make a difference boycotting plastic packaging would make business act!
The UK doesn't even have a bottle deposit.
The world needs progressive Government's who care about the future, fat chance.
unfortunately in the UK our electoral system needs reforming to give more voice to parties like the Greens. But when given the chance to change it most of the UK public were too thick to understand it. So you're right, there is no chance of getting a progressive government, especially in the UK
Why are the loose fruit and veg far inferior in quality to the multipacks in plastic. We like to buy just what we need but trying to find carrots / peppers etc which aren't in very poor condition in the loose sections is hard.
why not try another supermarket?
@@juliestresslessliving they aren't as convenient. Would use more fuel getting to them and there are things at that supermarket that we like and are generally cheaper. Should we be accepting of inferior fresh fruit and veg which is loose or challenge them which I do every time I fill in their satisfaction questionnaire. Maybe if all fruit and veg which could be loose was it would all be better quality. Suspect its similar issues across the board anyway.
It doesn't seem to make business sense... packaging costs money therefore if it is reduced or absent it should cost less? It also costs money to dispose and recycle, so it may be cheap upfront but when you see the bigger picture it is not?
Unfortunately, the cost of recycling is not borne by the producers or supermarkets but by us through our local authorities etc.
We all do our bit but big business is lagging behind (no surprise, given who's in power in the UK). They could solve this problem overnight. If there is a better alternative to plastic, they should use it. If there is a better plastic alternative (one that can be re-used or recycled) they should use that. Consumer organisations like Which? should be given powers to prosecute offenders if they can prove a company hasn't done enough and the companies fined a significant percentage of their profits for that product.
There is no better alternative to plastic. Especially when you take the whole life cycle into account. Education around littering, Governmental support to increase recycling rates and not paying companies for exporting the waste. Big business is actually doing quite a lot but can do more, they definitely are not lagging behind.