Greenpeace UK and Everyday Plastic have launched The Big Plastic Count – the UK’s largest household survey ahead of Global Plastics Treaty negotiations.
The survey returns for a second year and will invite individuals, households, schools, community groups and businesses to count plastic waste for a week in March.
Findings from the first survey in 2022 highlighted that UK households go through nearly two billion pieces of plastic packaging away weekly.
Additionally, 83% of plastic recorded was from food and drink packaging waste, the most common item being fruit and vegetable packaging.
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From the statistics in the 2022 survey, Greenpeace is now calling for the government to:
- Reduce plastic production by at least 75% by 2040 and speed up the introduction of innovative reuse and refill models.
- Completely ban all plastic waste exports by 2027 at the latest.
- Immediately implement an all-in Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements for recycling and reuse.
- End approvals for new incineration facilities.
The next round of negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty set to be held in Ottawa, Canada, from April 23 to 29 and could lead to a legally binding global agreement on plastic pollution.
Everyday Plastic founder and director Daniel Webb said: “Nearly 250,000 people took part in The Big Plastic Count in 2022, coming together to show that urgent change is not just what we need, but what we want.
“The Big Plastic Count is a simple yet impactful way to discover your household plastic footprint whilst contributing vital evidence to pressure our government to lead the way at the Global Plastics Treaty talks.”
