Greenpeace UK

Where do the political parties stand on ending plastic pollution?

The climate emergency is also a plastic pollution emergency. The plastic footprint of UK supermarkets is bigger than ever. Ahead of the general election, here’s a deep-dive into plastic policies the political parties have presented in their manifestos.

Supermarkets putting more plastic on their shelves than ever

Public concern about plastic pollution is at a high, and promises to tackle the problem are pouring out of supermarket PR machines. But new research shows that the plastic footprint of the top 10 UK supermarkets has actually increased over the past year. Here’s the breakdown.

An African man in a boilersuit with hi-vis stripes and "care sanitation and suppliers ltd" written on the back of it stands looking out over a huge pile of smoking landfill rubbish towering over him. He is wearing a dirty face mask and a knitted cap, and thick gloves, holding crunched up Pepsi-branded plastic cups.

Waste pickers are the hidden heroes tackling the world’s plastic pollution

Waste pickers all over the world are vital to reducing the impact of pollution on people living in poverty. Find out about the lives of waste pickers – and what the Global Plastics Treaty must do to support them.

Sainsbury’s promise to reduce plastic by half thanks to people power!

People power works! After huge public pressure Sainsbury’s recently pledged to cut their plastic usage by 50% by 2025 – a move which could see plastic reduction across the whole industry.

Photo montage shows plastic straws, pill packets and chopped vegetables.

We need to talk about plastic for access, or ‘Placcess’

Banning single-use plastics like straws threatens disability rights and dignity for people with disabilities. Here’s how a plastic for access, or ‘Placcess’, system could help.

Plastic dumpsites in Turkey found to be highly contaminated with toxic chemicals

A report released by Greenpeace Mediterranean today, Game of Waste, reveals that five sites in southern Turkey are extensively contaminated with hazardous chemical pollutants. Last year Greenpeace investigators found UK grocery packaging dumped in the same five areas. Scientists found that levels of toxic chemicals in the soil…

What I wish non-disabled people understood about disability and plastic

Disabled people often suffer most from plastic pollution, but many also rely on plastic products for health, independence and dignity. In a new comic, illustrator and disability activist Ananya Rao-Middleton explores this complicated relationship.

Bonnie Wright joins scientists and campaigners to launch river plastic investigation

Hollywood star helps with nationwide survey of plastic pollution in the UK’s major rivers

What does Michael Gove need to do to win the War on Plastic?

To win the war on plastic, Environment Secretary Michael Gove should make sure the upcoming Environment Bill sets targets in law to radically reduce the amount of plastic we make and use.

Unpacked: how supermarkets can cut plastic packaging in half by 2025

Despite scientific evidence and mounting public pressure, UK supermarkets are putting more plastic on their shelves than ever. This report outlines how supermarkets can achieve a minimum 50% reduction in single-use plastic packaging, purely via reduction and reuse.

A tipper truck with 'Stop plastic exports' stencilled on the side drops bags of plastic waste outside the gates of Downing Street. An activist wearing a caricatured Boris Johnson mask looks on.

Why Greenpeace left half a tonne of plastic on Boris Johnson’s doorstep

Activists left 625 kilos of plastic waste outside Downing Street - the same amount that the UK sends overseas every 30 seconds.

What’s the answer to our plastic problem?

We’re all worried about the issue of plastic packaging – but what’s the real solution? Are bioplastics made from organic materials the answer? Can’t supermarkets just make all plastic recyclable? And doesn’t plastic packaging keep food fresh and prevent food waste? It’s time to bust those plastic myths once and for all.

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