THE PLASTIC FREEBIES THAT ARE COSTING US THE EARTH
Fast-food chains and magazine firms are urged to ditch toys and gifts aimed at children
Fast- food chains and magazine publishers have been urged to ditch the millions of free plastic toys given away weekly in the UK.
An investigationon has found the culture of handingnding out non-nonrecyclable free plasticlastic gifts is booming – despitepite the huge damage the materialerial does to the environment.
Huge changes haveve been made across thehe country’s retail andnd catering sectors andnd a successful Sundayday Mai l campaign has led to a ban on plasticstic straws being consideredered by t he Scottish Government.
But last week two of our biggest fast-food chains gave away toys whichich can take up to 500 yearsears to degrade to promoteote the hundreds of thousandssands of kids’ meals they sellll daily.
And scores of magazinesagazines used cover-mounteded plastic freebies to entice readers.eaders.
David Lusseau, professor of behavioural biology at Aberdeen University,rsity, said: “The campaigns aroundound plastic straws have been greatreat at raising awareness but it’s only the start and there are so manyny other issues that need tackled, like gimmicky plastic toys that cann take hundreds of years to break down.own.
“There are a lot of us on this planet and only so many resources. We really need to rethinkink how we live our lives and ask ourselves do we really need that?
“These toys are a perfect effigy of what needs to be changed within our consumer culture. A total rethink is needed.
“This isn’t a new problem – 25 years ago I was pulling plastic bags out of the stomachs of dead pilot whales off the coast of America but it’s getting worse.”
Prof Lusseau is annoyed the toys are being marketed at children, who are more recycling aware than many adults, and believes there are ways of of fer ing more environmentally friendly treats with meals and magazines.
He said: “These toys are marketed at children, who know about recycl ing and whose env i ronment a l future we are trying to protect – and it’s not all about the physical pollution they cause. You have to also take into account the energy needed to make the toy and the carbon footprint created by the transport used to deliver it round the world.
“I understand the fast-food chains and publishers don’t want to take the fun away but there are plenty of much more environmental ly friendly alternatives they could offer such as cardboard games, a book or an app to link in with the latest Disney movie.”
Cather ine Gemmel l , Scotland officer for the Marine Conservation Society, added: “We find thousands of pieces of plastic on our beaches and, during last year’s Great British Beach Clean survey, 559 pieces of plastic were collected from every 100 metres of Scottish beaches, which is an increase of 14 per cent from the previous year.
“Plastic toys are recorded on our survey and they do contribute to the plastic pieces we f ind on beaches. What appears to be an innocent toy can actually have devastating impacts on our oceans.
“Mar ine wi ldl i fe can mistake these pieces of plastic for food and this can have a serious consequence on their health. Some plastic can last decades if not centuries in our environment, which could endanger generations of our precious wildlife.”
Last week, McDonald’s were giving away plastic Pokemon toys with their Happy Meals. At Burger
Plastic toys can have an awful impact on our oceans
King, it was Aquaman toys to coincide with the cinema release of the latest DC blockbuster.
Peppa Pig, LOL Dolls, Andy’s Amazing Adventures, My Little Pony and Mr Men are just some of the many kids’ magazines which come with free plastic, ranging from whistles, figurines and dinosaur grabbers to footballs and pretend make-up – toys that will be played with for five minutes and discarded.
Many of the publishers enclose the toys in clear packaging and then wrap the whole magazine in a single- use plastic envelope – meaning it is triple-bagged.
The Sunday Mai l has been campaigning to make Scotland the first country in Europe to be free of plastic straws and we’ve managed to get thousands of restaurants, pubs, venues and businesses across the nation to ditch them or switch to a cardboard or paper versions.
Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “We have been working hard on measures to eliminate non-recyclable, singleuse plastics and our expert panel is considering the issues of plastic straws and disposable cups as a priority. We are also engaging with the UK Government on packaging reform and single-use plastics to change the way it is used, produced and captured.
“Scotland’s ambitions are for a more circular economy, improving productivity and resilience by keeping products and materials in use for longer.
“I wish the Sunday Mail all the best in its efforts to help reduce the amount of single-use plastics in our environment and would encourage all providers to make their products as environmentally- friendly as possible.”
Labour MSP Claudia Beamish said: “We know the danger plastic waste poses to our environment and to animal life. That’s why it is important to try to reduce the production and use of plastics.
“I encourage businesses across the country to continue to look for alternatives to plastics and, indeed, alternatives to trinket toys.”
McDonald ’ s said: “We are commit ted to reducing our environmental impact and we can, and want to, be part of the solution – for example, with our move from recyclable plastic straws to paper.
“Our Happy Meal toys provide fun forr children and families in our restaurants but also provide many more fun-filled hours at home too at home too. When families When families are finished playing with them, like many other plastic toys, they can also be recycled in local authority sites where appropriate facilities are available. At points in the year, we offer book promotions, swapping toys for books.”
Burger King did not respond to our request for comment.
Redan, who publish Peppa Pig magazine, said: “The area of sustainability is constantly under review. We are working on a number of initiatives to reduce our impact on the environment.”
Signature Publishing, the firm behind the My Little Pony and Fantast Fantastic ic Fun world Fun world magazines magazines, said: “We are working with other publishers across the sector to improve sustainability and reduce plastic use through a range of measures.”
Egmont, publishers of The Incredibles magazine, said: “Sustainability is a key priority for our business and we are committed to minimising the impact our products have on the environment while ensuring they continue to be safe and durable. All single-use plastic packaging is recyclable and we are working to provide clearer guidance to consumers on how to dispose of products responsibly.”