HABITS WE CAN CHANGE

Theresa May will today announce plans to eliminate avoidable plastic waste. Offending items include cutlery, straws, labels, cups, bottles and most types of plastic packaging.

STRAWS

Too small and fiddly to recycle, plastic straws often end up in landfill before finding their way into our rivers and seas. Plastic cutlery is also difficult to recycle for the same reason. Avoid straws or use paper biodegradable versions instead.

POLYSTYRENE CUPS

Polystyrene is one of the most polluting plastics, but also one of the most common. Its lightness makes it difficult to collect while its bulk makes it hard to transport, discouraging recycling. Reusable plastic cups or mugs are a better option.

PACKAGING

Too light to be collected for recycling in most places, food wrap and other thin plastic packaging are problematic. Only one plant in the UK can process food wrap, so it mostly goes to landfill. It is better to buy unpackaged fruit and vegetables.

PLASTIC BOTTLES

Though plastic bottles can be recycled, many are not. Of the 30billion used by UK households each year, just 57 per cent are recycled. Half of these go to landfill. This means that around 700,000 plastic bottles a day end up as litter. Water fountains and glass bottles are good alternatives.

BLACK MEAT TRAYS

Used to make meat look appealing, but these plastic trays cannot be recycled because of the dye used to colour them. They are all sent to landfill or incinerated. Clear plastic trays are relatively easy to recycle, making them a good alternative.

WHITE YOGURT POTS

Not currently recycled because they are made from polystyrene. This means they cannot be treated with other plastics, like bottles, which are made of polyethylene terephthalate. Many manufacturers now use PET yogurt pots which can be recycled.