UK - Plastic News & Reusable Straw Products

We are all now much more aware of the issues that plastic cause when they go into our environment. Chlorinated plastic can release harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil, which can then seep into groundwater or other surrounding water sources and also the ecosystem of the world. This can cause serious harm to the species that drink the water. Landfill areas contain many different types of plastics and a lot of it ends up in the sea, damaging our ecosystem, creatures and animals.

This article will most likely reinforce what you already know but will make you more aware of the plastic crisis we are facing across the world.

BBC News: Plastic recycling: Your questions answered (26 April 2018)

Firms responsible for a significant proportion of supermarket plastic packaging have signed a deal to reduce plastic pollution by 2025.

More than 40 companies, including Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Asda, have signed up with the government, trade associations and campaigners to form the UK Plastics Pact.

The Pact says it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rethink the way we use plastic and its impact on the environment.

Recently, the government said it was considering banning plastic straws and cotton buds and this came hot on the heels of a proposal to make consumers pay a deposit on drinks bottles and cans.

The increased motivation to curb plastic waste and boost recycling comes after the Blue Planet II series highlighted the threat of ocean pollution and showed footage of wildlife eating plastic.

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Why is the government focusing on plastic straws and cotton buds?

BBC Environment correspondent Matt McGrath answers Mark Bolt’s question

A major step to expand the reduction of plastics beyond bud, straws and stirrers has been announced in the UK Plastics Pact.

Apart from packaging, two of the biggest plastic problems are straws and earbuds. These are among the most widely used items that turn up on beaches around the UK.

Plastic cotton buds are often flushed down toilets and are small enough to pass through water filter systems and end up being eaten by fish and other marine creatures.

The scale of UK plastic straw use is staggering with a figure of eight-and-a-half billion thrown away each year. The government is consulting on these steps with a possible ban to be introduced next year.

Campaigners say that these proposals by the government are not enough, and many other products need to be phased out too including plastic film – the UK uses more than a million tonnes a year, most of which can’t be recycled.

Attempts to cut down on the use of plastic coffee cups in the UK by the introduction of a so-called “latte levy” fizzled out earlier this year. The government rejected the idea of a 25p charge on disposable cups, despite the considerable success of a 5p plastic bag charge introduced in England in 2015.

The Reusable Superstore

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- Reusable Stainless Steel Drinking Straws

- Reusable Stainless Steel Water Bottles

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- Books & Information

Click here to find out more: reusablesuperstore.com/reusable-straw-products-plastic-news/