Charities target Christmas waste

Plastic packaging weighing the equivalent of more than three million emperor penguins will be thrown away this Christmas, environmental campaigners have warned.

Around 114,000 tons of plastic packaging, which could be recycled, will be put in the bin over the festive period, according to Wildlife and Countryside Link, a charity coalition.

The group – which includes Friends of the Earth, the RSPCA, the National Trust and Wildlife Trusts – also estimates that 34sq miles (88sq km) of festive wrapping paper will be used in the UK this year. The country will also go through 300,000 tons of Christmas card packaging.

The public has been urged to recycle as much plastic, glass, paper, card, metal, foil and wood this Christmas as they possibly can. Plastic waste, in particular, has been targeted, as it degrades slowly and damages oceans and marine wildlife.