Our household has taken part in this citizen science for the last few years.
It really hits home home much plastic we use and throw away.
Is anyone else taking part?
https://thebigplasticcount.com/
No, but I dispair of our recycling bin and knowing most of it won't get recycled but burned in the local incinerator/urban heating system. I swim in water heated by plastic waste with the carbon footprint that goes with it.
I thought things were bad a few years back but since then even some of the fruit and veg that used to be loose had found its way into plastic containers. Everything I bought on the last shop was in plastic, a composite or metal except the tomatoes, banabas and bread.
Heated swimming pool? What a waste of energy. Bananas! Think of the food miles.
Not taking part. But our bin goes out once a month sometimes two months. And it’s all plastic I think.
We've done it a few times in the past but not for the last couple of years. I found it depressing, which is no bad thing in itself. But the packaging we're offered doesn't seem to have changed in any meaningful way, so I don't see a point to it other than making us feel bad! Without more enlightened and progressive legislation and meaningful efforts on the part of food manufacturers to improve things I don't see how this makes a difference.
I was brought up with grandparents who took their own biscuit tin/tea caddy etc to the local shop to be refilled, everything was bought loose or in paper sacks, bags, tins/can or bottles. The new re-fill shops are doing their best to be plastic free but people seem to want to just use supermarkets.
The results of these surveys do help a lot and it really hits home how much plastic (especially single use) is thrown away. The research will hopefully be used to shame certain businesses.
I'll be honest with you bunnyhop and admit that ive never even heard of this until now. I have signed up and will complete it. However im with wooobob on this as i think until the manufacturers change how they package no matter what we do it will only do a small change compared to what it really should be.
@aide, I agree that it's up to the manufacturers to keep plastic to a minimum.
This citizen science is used to show the government and certain businesses (such as supermarkets), just how much plastic is discarded every day. The more people who take part, the more information is gathered and ultimately changes can be made.
Also to encourage the consumer to maybe change their shopping habits a tiny bit, where possible.
Never heard of it and I’m sure it’s a bit of fun especially with kids. I’m not sure it’s going to change anything or develop the science
Heated swimming pool? What a waste of energy. Bananas! Think of the food miles.
Not taking part. But our bin goes out once a month sometimes two months. And it’s all plastic I think.
show the government and certain businesses (such as supermarkets), just how much plastic is discarded every day.
Do you really think think they're not already fully aware?! They design and buy it all in the first place.
The new re-fill shops are doing their best to be plastic free but people seem to want to just use supermarkets.
Tbf it is a huge behaviour change.
I live just round the corner from a packaging free shop, and it has a very small range, is substantially more expensive than Tesco, and it's hard work - you end up lugging a heavy rucksack full of glass jars and tupperware about, and cramming loose bog rolls into the gaps - and then you still have to make a separate journey to Tesco anyway to get all the rest of your shopping.
I am well in favour of getting rid of plastic packaging but it's slow progress. Supermarkets are getting better - I've noticed that several have started putting mince in soft plastic rather than hard packs, Aldi nuts and seeds now come in paper bags, it's small beans.
It really annoys me that you come home from a supermarket and the first thing you do is tip a load of fruit and veg into out of their plastic wraps, into the veg tray, and shove the packing into the recycling within 30 seconds of unpacking. Let us buy them loose! Gah
I live just round the corner from a packaging free shop, and it has a very small range, is substantially more expensive than Tesco
This is the problem. Why are we expected to pay more to not have packaging? You would expect it to be in the commercial interests of the whole supply chain to use and transport less packaging. Clearly they don’t see it that way
It really gets my goat that we, the consumers, are the ones who are made to feel bad about plastic usage. Most of the time we want/need a certain thing, and it's supplied in some sort of "Do not recycle at home" label on the package. So what do I do with it? Chuck it in the bin for general rubbish obviously. Yes, some supermarkets will take certain types of plastic back, but it's we consumers who have to make the effort for that to happen.
When will the onus turn onto the supermarkets and manufacturers to make it their responsibility to not provide us with unrecyclable packaging?
I get that there are a few things that will not survive the supply chain without plastic, but it's a small amount.
Sorry, I haven’t participated in any plastic survey.
i do take all those biscuit wrappers and bread bags to the special recycling basket at the supermarket.
back in the day, everything was made of natural biodegradable fibres:
unilaterally, the global elites chose to replace these with petrochemicals in 1937.
why? Well, trading petroleum is done in US dollars.
this has allowed the USA to borrow far beyond its means from the Chinese, etc.
so long as the USA’s cheques don’t bounce, they’re sitting pretty.
but if Iran decides to choke off the straits of Hormuz, where 40% of the gulf states oil passes, then it may prompt a switch by non-opec countries back to hemp production.