Challenge issued on throwaway plastic use

CONSUMERS ARE being urged to take on a challenge to see how long they can go without using throwaway plastic as part of a campaign to tackle waste.

Friends of the Earth is asking people to take part in its #drasticonplastic timer to record how long they go before they use a piece of single-use plastic. The environmental charity said the scheme aims to shine a light on how common throwaway plastic is and build a picture of where action is still needed to tackle the problem.

Participants can start the timer on their phone and leave it running until they use their first piece of disposable plastic such as food wrappers, drinks containers or bags, at which point they hit the stop button.

The time and the piece of plastic that ended the challenge can be submitted to Friends of the Earth.

The charity also wants people to back its campaign for tougher Government action on single-use plastic and other sources of plastic pollution.

Friends of the Earth’s plasticfree campaigner Julian Kirby said: “Take the plastic challenge and find out how long you can go before you have to use an item of throwaway plastic.”

The call comes as a cross-party group of MPs has called for a complete ban on the export of the UK’s plastic waste to developing countries. A motion backs the call by environmental charity A Plastic Planet to end exports of plastic waste to developing countries.