Yesterday (Sunday 8 May), Greenpeace Edinburgh volunteers spoke to members of the public on Portobello Promenade about The Big Plastic Count.
Throughout April and May Greenpeace Edinburgh, along with local Greenpeace groups up and down the country, have been talking to the public about the nationwide survey on plastic wastage.
Volunteers showed passers-by a photo of the six months’ worth of plastic used by Everyday Plastic founder Daniel Webb (below), and asked them to guess how many people’s plastic this was. Answers ranged from one household to 100 people but only a few people guessed correctly that it was just one individual’s plastic waste!
The Big Plastic Count, a collaboration between Greenpeace and Everyday Plastic, is taking place between 16th – 22nd May.
It will uncover the truth about how much household plastic we throw away, and how much is really recycled. Individuals, households, schools, community groups and businesses across the UK will count their plastic packaging waste, record the different types they throw away and submit their results online.
The campaign is supported by actor Bonnie Wright, as well as naturalist and television presenter, Chris Packham.
Zoë, a volunteer from Newington, said: “We’re all doing our bit to recycle, but plastic waste is still everywhere. It’s so sad to see it polluting the environment in beautiful areas such as Portobello Beach.
“That’s why I’m counting my plastic for one week between 16th – 22nd May, and submitting this data to get my personal plastic footprint, to find out what really happens to our plastic waste.
“More than 140,000 people from across the UK including more than 650 households in Edinburgh have signed up to participate. Sign up to take part too at https://thebigplasticcount.com“
The data each participant generates will contribute to an overall national picture, filling a crucial evidence gap on exactly how much plastic packaging waste is leaving UK homes.
The results will demonstrate the scale of the plastic waste problem and pressure the government and supermarkets to tackle the root cause of the plastic crisis.
The launch of The Big Plastic Count comes as new polling from YouGov, commissioned by Greenpeace UK, shows that more than four in five people (81%) want the UK Government to introduce targets to reduce plastic waste.
Across Scotland, support is also very high, with 82% supporting targets.
The YouGov survey also shows how almost four in five (77%) people in the UK recycle plastic products in order to reduce plastic waste. However, three in four (75%) don’t know what happens to their plastic recycling after disposing of it.
The UK produces more plastic waste per person than almost any other country in the world – second only to the USA [2]. In 2018, the UK generated 5.2 million tonnes, enough to fill Wembley Stadium six times over.
Joan from Marchmont said: “‘I was amazed that one person used so much plastic in 6 months. I put the plastic I use in the recycling bin, so I’m disappointed to hear that lots of that plastic might not actually be recycled, but is in fact often incinerated, sent to landfill, or dumped abroad.
“It’s up to the Government and big supermarkets to cut plastic packaging, and to properly deal with our waste.”
This year, the government is starting to decide on legal targets to reduce plastic waste. Greenpeace Edinburgh is calling on the Government to set a target to reduce single-use plastic by 50% by 2025, to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme for plastic re-use and recycling, and ban the dumping of our waste onto other countries.
Sign-up at https://thebigplasticcount.com/
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