Burning, burying and exporting our waste damages our environment, our health and our climate. So this should not be what happens to 88% of the plastic leaving our homes.
And all the while the government claims to be a global leader in tackling plastic waste [1]. But our investigation has shown that this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Too much plastic is being produced and our recycling system can’t cope, so we’re burning it, burying it and dumping it abroad instead. And with plastic production set to double over the next 20 years something needs to change or the plastic crisis will just keep getting worse.
Our government boasts of there being a “war on plastic waste” but so far it's piecemeal attempts to stem the flow like banning cotton buds and other single items have barely scratched the surface [2]. If they are really serious about tackling the plastic crisis, they need to cut the amount of plastic being produced in the first place by half and help the UK move to reusable packaging which works for everyone.
By adding your name John, you’ll be joining thousands of others helping make sure The Big Plastic Count’s results are an urgent wake up call for the government. It only takes two minutes, sign the petition now:
