The Big Plastic Count Results!
- Jenny Tomlinson
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Thank you to the 9 households who brought their plastic waste to church 2 weeks ago, and to any households who signed up to do their own count. The results for our church collection are in and you can view them in the PDF at the bottom of this blog.
It shows that 91% of the plastic waste was from fruit and vegetable packaging. The amount of plastic being produced globally keeps rising. One simple way to reduce it is to stop wrapping fresh fruit and vegetables in plastic. Cutting this unnecessary packaging would mean less plastic in our homes, less waste burned in incinerators, and less of our rubbish shipped overseas.
Solution: Can you buy fruit such as apples, pears, oranges and bananas loose? Try the Market, a Farm Shop, or a local greengrocer.
It shows that 47% of the plastic was soft plastic. Soft plastics like plastic bags and wrappers are difficult to recycle and often end up burned or exported. Councils are increasingly collecting soft plastics in kerbside collections, but the real solution is producing far less of this hard-to-recycle plastic in the first place.
Solution: Can you, for instance, buy your bread at a bakery where it should be sold in a paper bag, rather than at the supermarket when it’s in a plastic bag?
Only 18% of what we collected would be recycled in the UK. Plastic waste that is sorted and reprocessed in the UK and then turned into new materials. But in the past two years, 21 plastic recycling and processing plants across the UK have closed. This has been driven by high levels of waste exports, the low cost of virgin plastic, and an influx of cheap plastic imports.
17% of what we collected would be exported. The UK is one of the top three exporters of plastic waste, sending around 600,000 tonnes abroad each year. In the first half of 2024, plastic waste exports to lower income countries (including Malaysia and Indonesia) rose by 84 percent compared to the same period last year.
8% would be sent to landfill. When plastic is buried in the ground at a landfill, it releases harmful gases into the atmosphere, while wind and rain carry microplastics into surrounding areas. Over time, the UK is sending less plastic to landfill, largely due to landfill tax policy and declining available capacity, rather than a reduction in plastic production.
A shocking 57% would be incinerated. Burning or incinerating plastic releases carbon, toxins and pollutants into the air, presenting numerous health risks for local communities and contributing to climate change. More plastic waste is being burnt than ever, as a means to manage the sheer amount of plastic in our system.
COME AND SEE THE DISPLAY IN THE HALL AFTER CHURCH TO LOOK AT MORE SOLUTIONS – AND YOU MIGHT GET A FREEBIE TOO!
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