UK households discard 1.7 bn pieces of plastic every week

Experts say implementation of reuse and refill systems “could transform the plastics economy”, while Defra says it is “pushing ahead” to eliminate avoidable waste by 2050 

The findings from Greenpeace’s ‘Big Plastic Count’ suggest that UK households throw away 60 pieces of plastic packaging each week. This equates to 1.7 billion pieces of plastic per week and 90 billion items per year.

The survey involved 225,000 participants, including 28,000 schoolchildren and community groups and businesses, who counted their plastic waste in March this year.

The environmental group is now calling on the government to reduce plastic production by at least 75% by 2040 and speed up the introduction of reuse and refill models. It also wants a ban on all plastic waste exports by 2027 and the immediate implementation of an all-in Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements for recycling and reuse. EPR makes companies responsible for the full net cost of the collection and recycling of the packaging waste they place into UK markets.

Nina Schrank, Head of Plastics for Greenpeace UK said that recycling systems can’t cope with the volume of plastic packaging we use and that the majority of plastic packaging thrown away is burned in the UK or overseas, releasing toxins that can disrupt neurodevelopment, endocrine, and reproductive functions.

She said: “In the time this government takes to consult on banning one disposable plastic product, and then boast about it, the packaging industry has created many more to take its place.

“Meanwhile, whoever was supposed to deliver the UK’s DRS and EPR, which we have been awaiting for many years, must have called while we were out.”

Schrank added that the “remaining source of hope” is the UN Global Plastics Treaty, which could limit plastic production. “If that fails, we’ll be back to watching the UK government trying to mow the lawn with nail clippers.”

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of environmental charity, Keep Britain Tidy described the Greenpeace results as “tragic” but “not surprising”. She said: “With stagnant recycling rates of less than 50% and more than two million pieces of litter – much of which is plastic – dropped every day in this country, it is so disappointing that the DRS has been delayed – yet again – to 2027.” 

“New thinking around packaging choices, backed up by legislation, is urgently needed.”

Dr Cressida Bowyer, Deputy Director of the Revolution Plastics Institute at the University of Portsmouth said that the plastic waste problem is not getting any better and that “recycling is not going to solve it”.

She said: “New thinking around packaging choices, backed up by legislation, is urgently needed. Implementation of reuse and refill systems could transform the plastics economy from a linear to a more circular model and significantly reduce plastic production and pollution.”

A Defra spokesperson commented: “We are pushing ahead with our programme of reforms to reduce waste and improve our use of resources, as part of our goal of eliminating avoidable waste by 2050. 

“We’ve already taken billions of plastic bags out of circulation, banned plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds and support proposals for a new legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution.

“It’s essential we work closely with industry to make sure these reforms are a success, including as we deliver our EPR scheme and introduce the DRS.”