St Ives refill shop hopes plastic count speeds up call for change
There are calls to cut plastic production by at least 75%
A refill shop in Cambridgeshire hopes more people cutting down on plastic waste will send a message for change.
Greenpeace and Everyday Plastic are calling to cut plastic production by at least 75 per cent by 2040 and speed up the use of refill schemes.
It comes as we've been encouraged to take note of how many of these items of plastic we're using during this week's Big Plastic Count.
The initiative aims to help schools, businesses and households understand exactly how much plastic they build up and know how much of it gets recycled.
"The packaging process is where change needs to be"
Martin Cooper runs the Refill Shop of Ikigai in St Ives, which encourages people to reuse containers they fill up with shopping to cut down on plastic waste.
"The point is to help individuals understand how big a problem it is, even if you think you're good at recycling, it's still shocking to see how much (plastic) you've accrued," he said.
"You may feel guilty about the amount of plastic but you shouldn't; the problem is manufacturing and the packaging process from start to finish is where the change needs to be.
"The more people get involved and the greater the problem appears, hopefully the government may start to listen."
Government pushing forward with 'common-sense approach'
The government said it aims to try and eliminate avoidable waste by 2050, such as banning single-use plastics and taking plastic bags out of circulation.
It's also committed to working with international partners to tackle plastic pollution on a global level.
“We know there is more to do," said a Department for Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson.
"That is why we are pushing forward with plans for a new, simpler common-sense approach to recycling – making recycling easier for everyone across the country and driving forward our ambitions to move to a more circular economy.”