Have you tried collecting all of your plastic packaging for a week? Having recently done this for the Big Plastic Count I was horrified by the amount we are still using.
What happens to our plastic packing waste?
• 10% recycled in the UK – sorted and processed to be turned into new materials
• 14% exported – often sent to countries in the Global South where investigations have shown it is dumped or burned.
• 27% landfilled – releasing gases and leaching microplastics
• 49% incinerated – releasing carbon, toxins and pollutants
Whilst all of our recycling efforts are wonderful we must also think about reducing the amount of plastic we buy in the first place.
Lots more information and tips can be found here – https://thebigplasticcount.com/media/Living-with-less-plastic-handbook.pdf