Waste Action

  The Plastic Plague  

 The Facts:

• The world produces 200 million tonnes of plastic a year. Half of this is used for disposable plastic packaging, and less than 3% of this is recycled.

• Globally over 1.2 trillion plastic bags are used annually. That’s about 300 bags for each adult on the planet and over one million bags being used per minute.

• On average a plastic bag is used for 12 minutes before being thrown away. The same bag will then take decades to break down in landfill.

• Plastic production uses 8% of the world’s oil production.

• The UK produces 2.8 million tonnes of plastic each year – this figure is rising by 2% every year.

• Nearly 90% of floating marine litter is plastic, causing injury and fatality to thousands of birds and mammals each year.

What you can do:

• SAY NO TO PLASTIC! Buy a few reusable ‘bags for life’ for your shopping. Look out for Leighton Buzzard’s very own ‘I love LB’ cotton bags.

• Recycle any plastic bags at your nearest supermarket.

• Be aware of excess packaging – buy concentrated, refillable and bigger-value packs.

• Buy fruit and vegetables loose and support  the market and local farm shops at the same time.

• Tesco in Royston have stopped displaying plastic bags at the till; ask your local Tesco and other shops do the same.

• Friends of the Earth supports a tax on plastic bags to help reduce litter & pollution.

National

Friends of the Earth