Nearly 100 billion pieces of plastic packaging are estimated to be thrown away by UK households every year, with just 12% likely to be recycled according to the country’s largest ever survey of household plastic waste.
The Big Plastic Count campaign underlines the call made by environmental NGOs for the government to set legally binding targets to almost entirely eliminate single-use plastic, starting with a target of a 50% cut in single-use plastic by 2025.
Alternatives should be affordable, reusable and accessible including to those with disabilities. The most commonly counted items were fruit and veg packaging (1.02 million pieces), closely followed by snack bags, packets and wrappers (1.01 million pieces).
More of the UK’s household plastic waste (17%) is being shipped overseas than being recycled at home. Almost half (46%) of the UK’s household plastic waste is being incinerated whilst the remaining 25% is buried in landfill.
Source – The Big Plastic Count Results
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