Suffolk campaigner urging people to rethink relationship with plastics
It's estimated that, in total, all households throw away 1.7 billion pieces of plastic packaging a week
A litter picker and campaigner from Suffolk is urging people to rethink their relationship with plastic.
It comes as the organisers of this year's Earth Day have called for there to be a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040.
"The only way we're going to get close to that figure is by working together"
Jason Alexander is the founder of Rubbish Walks, and owns the UK's first ever litter museum, based in Suffolk:
"We see more and more evidence of the impact plastic pollution is having on the environment, from the top of the highest mountains, to the deepest parts of the ocean we find plastic pollution everywhere.
"It is very easy for us to think the issue of plastic pollution is such a massive problem that anything we do is not going to have any real impact, but I promise it will.
"You know, asking ourselves do we really need that thing? Can we reuse what we already have? Can we find plastic free alternatives?"
"We know it has a detrimental impact on wildlife, on plant life and on us, yet we continue to prioritise convenience over the health of us and the planet.
"We need to rethink to our relationship with plastic as a matter of urgency."
How serious is the issue of plastic pollution?
Research from groups Greenpeace and Everyday Plastic shows that, in total, all households throw away 1.7 billion pieces of plastic packaging a week.
This equates to 90 billion pieces of waste a year.
The "big plastic count" involved almost 225,000 people from 77,000 households and found snack packaging and veg packaging were the most commonly counted plastic packaging.
The count also estimates that more than half the plastic packaging pieces being thrown away (58%) were incinerated, which campaigners warn adds to greenhouse gases and poses health risks to communities near incinerators.
Just 17% was recycled.
The campaign groups warned that the UK threw away more plastic per person than every other country except the US, and recycling would never be able to catch up with the amount of plastics being produced.
What's the Government doing to tackle this?
The UK signed a treaty last year with 52 other countries to End Plastic Pollution by 2040.
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: "Plastic pollution continues to have a devastating effect on our world’s ocean, people and the wider environment.
"That’s why it’s more important than ever to step up, take action and drive forward the change needed to bring an end to plastic pollution globally.
"I am proud to be amongst other HAC members signing this statement that calls for ambitious new measures within the global plastics treaty and look forward to some productive and high-reaching discussions in the upcoming INC-2 meeting in Paris."