Plastic pollution

Be part of the solution to plastic pollution

Plastic pollution is the most visible form of harm that we are causing to our planet, reaching every corner of the globe, from local beaches to the remote Arctic. Plastics are filling our oceans, with over 8 million tons of waste escaping into our oceans and coastal waters every year, which is the same as 1 truck (5 tons) of plastic being dumped into the ocean every minute.

Plastic pollution is also extremely harmful to wildlife, killing millions a year through starvation, strangling or harmful chemical release.

  • 1 in 2 marine turtles have consumed plastic
  • 7 million coffee cups are thrown away in the UK, every day
  • 90% of sea birds have plastic in their stomachs.

Plastic pollution is a global issue, which world leaders are working together to combat, but without action, there could be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050.

Every single country is part of this plastics crisis. And every single one must be part of the solution. By coming together to tackle plastic pollution, we can show that powerful, collective action to restore nature can be possible.

image of plastic dumped in a waste facility

Reducing your Plastic Footprint:

Here are some simple changes that you make to your daily lifestyle habits, to be more sustainable and make a big difference!

  • carry a reusable water bottle with you to avoid buying plastic bottles
  • carry reusable shopping bags with you rather than buying plastic bags at every food shop
  • don’t use plastic straws - instead, use paper or a carry a reusable straw with you
  • carry a reusable coffee cup! Some shops even provide discount for using your own cup.
  • avoid excessive food packaging. Local farm shops or markets often have loose fruit and vegetables to allow you to shop more sustainably
  • use local refill shops to replenish your shampoo, conditioner, cleaning products and food to reuse old bottles. 
  • have your milk delivered from a local farm, as it is often locally sourced and arrives in reusable glass bottles. 
  • avoid disposable cutlery wherever possible
  • have less / give up chewing gum, as it’s made from synthetic rubber which is a form of plastic!
  • choose glass and tin packaging over plastic packaging where possible
  • try using reusable cloth diapers for you baby, which can also save you a lot of money!
  • use reusable containers to store leftovers
  • use a razor with replaceable blades rather than disposable razors
  • take packed lunches made at home in reusable containers to avoid buying single serve meals with plastic packaging
  • ditch the cling film, instead use foil
  • try loose leaf tea with a strainer instead of tea bags, as they are sealed with plastic!
  • use washable / reusable make up remover cloths, rather than single use make up wipes to remove your make up