Cut-out-and-keep guide to banishing plastic
THE Treasury is considering a tax on single-use plastic – to be announced in tomorrow’s budget.
Typically these are plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, plastic bottles and most food packaging – items used once then thrown away.
Some are very difficult to recycle – facilities do not exist to turn them back into a useable raw material.
Others are tricky to recycle because they comprise a variety of different materials joined together.
Plastic can find its way into the sea after being dropped in litter, or blown off a beach or landfill site.
Here’s what you can do:
USE PAPER STRAWS
Despite only being used for the time it takes to finish a drink, plastic straws do not degrade for hundreds of years. Some chains such as JD Wetherspoon have replaced plastic straws with paper ones which can be recycled.
DON’T FLUSH AWAY WIPES
Single-use cloth wipes clog sewers – and help create ‘fatbergs’ that can grow to the size of double decker buses. Most contain plastic fibres that can end up polluting waterways.
BUY A REUSABLE BOTTLE
Carry a reusable water bottle and fill it up at the tap. You’ll not only save a fortune – you will avoid having to dispose of plastic bottles in public waste bins – many of which go straight to landfill. If you work in an office, ask your building manager to supply paper cups.
COFFEE CUP SAVINGS
Buy at coffee shop chains where paper cups are starting to be recycled such as Costa. Or carry a reusable cup – you will save 25p at Pret a Manger.
BAG ONE FOR LIFE
Take your own reusable cloth bag or ‘bag for life’ to the supermarket. You will also save on the 5p charge.
DITCH COTTON BUDS
Don’t buy cotton buds with plastic stems – buy card-based ones instead. Cotton buds are one of the main pieces of single-use plastic on beaches.
CUT BACK ON TREATS
Cut down on chocolate bars and crisps – all have plastic wrappers. Earlier this year a Walkers crisp bag and a Dime bar wrapper were found in a dead whale.
TABLE MANNERS
Avoid disposable cutlery.
GIVE UP THE GUM
Chewing gum is a sticky form of plastic that is not recyclable, contaminates paper recycling and costs millions to remove from pavements.