Scourge of the coffee cups to soar by a third

BRITISH shoppers could be tossing away a third more disposable cups every year by 2030 unless action is taken to turn the tide on plastic waste, a report warns.

Demonstrating the need for a bottle deposit scheme – along with further measures – it forecast that the amount of plastic waste we produce overall is set to rise by a fifth by the end of the next decade without reforms to encourage recycling.

The WWF conservation group predicts we will be throwing away 34 per cent more crisp packets, 41 per cent more plastic straws and 9 per cent more drinks bottles.

Its report said that this year alone the UK will bin 4.1billion single-use drinks cups and lids, and this is set to rise by a third to 5.4billion in 12 years. It also reveals that UK consumers are among the biggest users in Europe of straws, food containers, crisp packets and wet wipes. We use 10.8billion wet wipes, 16.5billion pieces of plastic cutlery and 42billion straws every year.

The report said our love affair with fast food is filling our bins with plastic as packaging makes up 67 per cent of the plastic ending up in our bins or litter. And we throw away more plastic cotton buds – a staggering 13.2billion – and more sanitary towels – 4.1billion – every year than any other country in Europe.

We also bin 44.1billion plastic coffee stirrers each year and 8.3billion crisp packets. Tanya Steele, UK chief executive of WWF, said: ‘The amount Binned: A pile of coffee cups of plastic which the UK is throwing away is set to rocket by over a million tonnes by 2030. We need action now to end our reliance on single use plastic and improve how we recycle and reuse plastic products.

‘The Government must not bottle it when it comes to introducing a deposit return scheme.’ The conservation group also wants a ‘latte levy’ on single-use drinks cups and a ban on avoidable single use plastic by 2025.

The predictions for rising plastic use in the UK are based on modelling existing data and take into account factors such as rising economic output and the impact of new European legislation.

The report produced by consultants Eunomia also warned that while plastic waste would rise dramatically without action, recycling rates for plastic would increase more slowly.

Less than a third (31 per cent) of plastic waste is recycled, a figure which is expected to rise to 42 per cent by 2030.

The research was released to coincide with Earth Hour, a global environmental event. In the UK it takes place at 8.30pm today when landmarks including Tower Bridge, Brighton Pier, and Cardiff Castle, along with millions of people, are expected to turn off the lights.

‘We need action now’