UK supermarkets produce more than 800,000 tonnes of plastic waste every year, so consumers must help to stem the flow of plastic into our oceans. Christmas food consumption contributes enormously to the problem.
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An estimated 125,000 tonnes of plastic wrapping will be discarded this year as a result of festive feasting. In the UK, we eat 25 million Christmas puddings and most of these are packaged in plastic of some type. We eat 175 million mince pies, most of which are in plastic trays and individual aluminium cases - experts estimate one million mince pies produce a total of one tonne of waste packaging!
We live in a wasteful society in the UK and surveys have shown we will discard a total of 54 million platefuls of food during December, including throwing away food from overloaded plates on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. In fact, 70% of British consumers have admitted to buying far more festive food than they need. The most wasted food is turkey, with two-thirds of people throwing away at least some of it after Christmas.
The amount of waste plastic dumped over the festive period doesn't end with food. Wrapping paper, toys and greetings cards also produce waste that often ends up in landfill sites. In Britain, we use a staggering 227,000 miles of wrapping paper every year!
Modern wrapping paper can be dyed many colours, laminated and covered in glitter, however, the non-paper additives used to create gold and silver shapes and glitter can include plastics which can't be recycled!
There are many ways people can reduce their use of single-use plastics this Christmas – it us possible to have a good time without damaging the environment.
- Buy loose fruit and veg
When buying your fresh foods, don't buy the shrink-wrapped, pre-packed variety from the supermarket. Opt for fresh, loose fruit and veg, so you're not throwing away surplus packaging.
When you get home, store your fresh food in an airtight plastic box with a lid. Ideal for raw foods, it will keep the contents fresh, with low levels of humidity.
- Drink tap water
People in the UK use more than 35 million plastic bottles every day. Its common practice to buy bottled water in a restaurant to drink with your meal, yet tap water is safe to drink in the UK. There's even an app for your smartphone to tell you where you can refill a water bottle free of charge.
Although plastic bottles are usually made from PET and HDPE, which can be recycled at most household recycling centres, millions end up at landfill sites. It is estimated that only 19.8 million are recycled every day, so drinking tap water over Christmas reduces the amount of plastic bottles dumped after the festivities.
- Use reusable shopping bags
Don’t forget to take reusable shopping bags or other containers to the shops with you to avoid carrying your food home in plastic bags: there's no point in buying a "bag for life" if you forget to take it with you to the supermarket and end up with about 50 in your kitchen cupboard!
Carrying a bag to the shops has become the norm for a lot of consumers, but you'll need to take more when you do your Big Shop. If you're buying a lot of festive alcohol or soft drinks, try taking a plastic bottle crate in the car to safely transport your bottles home.
- Avoid disposable cutlery
Even if you have lots of dinner guests, or you're hosting a Christmas party with a buffet, don't be tempted to use disposable cutlery and plates. While they can come in handy, plastic knives, forks and plates are bad for the environment. If you don't have enough metal cutlery, consider asking a friend or a neighbour if you can borrow some of theirs as a one-off.
In days gone by, many householders had a special set of cutlery and a dinner service stored away that came out only at Christmas and other special occasions. This may be a tradition worth rekindling!
- Stop with the glitter!
Although everyone enjoys a bit of sparkle at Christmas, don't go overboard with the glitter. While it's not a major cause of pollution, it's essentially little pieces of plastic eventually going into the sea. However pretty it might look, don’t sprinkle glitter over everything, as it can easily go down the plughole if it's on your hands, or get into the drainage system through the washing machine if it's on your clothing.
If every individual does their bit to reduce single-use plastic this Christmas, it all adds up to a greener celebration and a more environmentally friendly New Year. Together, we can save the planet.
Solent Plastics provides quality storage products that you can reuse every year. Please contact us for more details of our range.