Just 5% of plastics are recycled effectively while 40% end up in landfill and a third in fragile ecosystems such as the oceans
Ellen MacArthur Foundation, New Plastics Economy 2016
Derived from fossil fuels, the production cycle of plastic has major climate impacts. The material’s long-lasting properties have meant that the environment, and particularly the oceans, are groaning under the weight of discarded plastic.
A comprehensive study in 2015 revealed that 8300 million tons of virgin plastic had been produced since plastics were invented and that 6300 million metric tons of plastic waste had been generated.
67% of all UK household plastic waste comes from packaging and this is where we can make a positive change through changing our lifestyle habits. We need to consider that all types of packaging material, including new innovations, have possible drawbacks. The best solutions include buying unpackaged and reducing consumption of highly packaged goods.