Chemical Recycling  is the process of converting plastic waste into raw materials to make new plastic, helping reduce the need for fossil fuels - the feedstock of most plastics. Chemical Recycling initially appeared to be a promising solution to the plastic waste crisis, however, concerns are growing about its effectiveness, environmental impacts and economic sustainability.     The Reality Behind the Technology Chemical Recycling is proving to be a costly gamble. The most co

“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 that plastic pollution happened in other parts of the world, not at home in the UK. But when he moved out of London to the coast, he was really shocked to see how much plastic pollution there was on the beaches, and decided to do something about it. Inspiration He started to realise just how much packaging there was, the amount that he was b

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

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

The average European drinks 118 litres of bottled water each year, 97% of which are in plastic bottles, a well-recognised source of...

“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...

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...

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

‘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...

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

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

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

First created for large playing fields, artificial grass can now be found in a whole range of businesses, schools, public roof terraces and private gardens. With more people aspiring to minimal maintenance lawns, the astroturf market has seen a huge increase. In fact it’s projected to reach 7 billion pounds by 2025 . But is it a good idea to be laying plastic all over our towns and cities? Aside from the fact it looks a little odd, there are many reasons astroturf is best avo

Sachets are small, single-use sealed plastic pouches that contain one portion of a product. The developing world has seen an explosion of...

Clean water is not just about how much you drink...

Mass produced plastic has only been around since the 1950s, and yet there is already 7.9 billion tons of plastic in landfill or in the...