From bread bags to bubble wrap, crisp packets to cling film, we are still heavily reliant on soft plastic packaging despite the damage it does to the planet after use.  Recycling has been shown to be largely ineffective . We need to reduce our reliance on soft plastics in the first place and encourage reusable packaging. The Role of Supermarkets Despite promising to phase out  soft plastics, UK supermarkets have been failing to meet their own targets on reducing soft plastic

As consumers, we often view the market through a “what’s inside” lens. The delicious pastry in its bag, moisturizing cream in its tub or brand-new clothes wrapped in plastic. But what about the outside? These discarded layers might not feel like our choice, yet they quietly become a part of our daily lives, and our growing waste problem.  Packaging waste has been rising over the past decade and in response, the EU launched its European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Econ

We’ve just heard about a new recycling scheme, very similar to a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), operating in three Suffolk towns. This...

“If you really believe in something you can make it happen and it’s okay to make it up as you go along.”* Back in 2016, Dan Webb thought...

The WWF-UK reports that in the UK alone we use between 2.5 billion and 5 billion disposable coffee cups every year. The UK government...

Environmental and economic arguments for reuse Too often conflated with recycling, reuse involves multiple circulations of reusable...

A recent study by the University of Strathclyde reveals that alarming amounts of microplastics are being produced by an unnamed plastics...

With 49 million tonnes of plastic consumed annually across Europe in packaging alone, our appetite for plastic grows ever more ravenous. ...

‘The Fraud of Plastic Recycling’ reveals plastic producers have known for decades that plastic recycling is not a real solution.

It was over one year ago that a train in East Palestine, Ohio derailed and caused an explosion, waking residents in the small town. The...

‘Soft plastics’ are a category of plastic waste that includes things like clear film, crisp packets, fruit bags, food pouches and biscuit...

The huge glass packaging industry could make a big impact in the transition to sustainable packaging systems. Glass packaging is a major...

Poisoning. Dismemberment. Disease. It sounds like a horror film in the making. But this is the reality faced by many beneath the ocean’s sur

Is recycling too successful? While this may seem almost oxymoronic, some environmentalists think it is the case. Following the...

Biodegradability is a complex issue. Unknown and unclear terms are used in misleading ways. We have all heard the buzzwords around...

Many objects describe themselves as being recyclable or compostable. For example, take-away coffee cups, which at first sight seem to...

Plastic waste is mostly recycled mechanically – shredded, melted and shaped into new products. The UN has stated: 'chemical recycling...

Since its conception in 1907 by Belgian Chemist Leo Baekeland, plastic has played a significant role in shaping how modern society is...

The energy crisis has caused bills to rise globally and has forced many into poverty. The issue was worsened by Russia’s invasion of...

The world produces two billion tonnes of waste per year. Most solid plastic waste is produced in the Global North, which includes...