We’re doing the Big Plastic Count
The big Plastic Count takes place in March. It asks participants to simply count the plastic that they use for 1 week and then share their results. Its aim is to gather data on the UK's plastic waste problem to put pressure on governments to do more, especially as oil companies are increasing investment in fossil-fuel plastics production. Here’s why it’s important and how to take part:
- The UK uses on average 35 million plastic bottles every day with approximately 16 million not being recycled
- We throw away an estimated 1.7 billion pieces of plastic a week or 90 billion pieces a year
- The UK recycles only around 12% of its plastic packaging domestically. Much of the rest is burned, landfilled, or exported
- Most common plastics (like PET and HDPE) can be recycled 2–3 times before the polymer chains break down and the material becomes too weak to reuse.
Body wash, shower gel and shampoo bottles are a major contributor to waste plastic in the UK and one of our core aims here at Alnwick Soap Co is to provide alternatives to help people make the switch away from plastics in personal care.
We just need to change our approach to using plastic. This of course has to be at an international level through a global treaty on plastics to reduce production. But as individuals, we can also make conscious choices on how to reduce our use of plastics.
Choosing plastic-free options for hair and body products such as soap and shampoo bars with zero waste or refillable bottles is a conscious change that we can choose to make.
Want to get involved? The Big Plastic Count is organised by Greenpeace and Everyday Plastic. Click here for more information and to sign up: https://thebigplasticcount.com/