Holidaymakers who use travel-size toiletries dumped 980 tons of tiny bottles last year, report claims
According to a new report, British holidaymakers dumped a mountain waste and almost a third of tourists buy miniature bottles for trips
HOLIDAY flyers who pack travel-sized toiletries have caused a mountain of plastic waste.
They have dumped 980 tons worth of tiny bottles in the past year – equivalent to the weight of two-and-a-half jumbo jets.
Almost a third of British tourists buy miniature shampoo, body wash and toothpaste as they fly with hand luggage to beat expensive airline charges.
But two in every five don’t recycle the packaging, according to new research.
Families are now being urged to switch to re-usable mini-bottles to save money and the planet.
Customers can pay up to eight times more for the contents of the smaller-sized toiletries compared with the full sized version.
And while standard packs contain twice as much plastic, they contain five times more liquid.
Standard-sized shampoo packs contain twice as much plastic but five times more liquid, the study found.
Tom Bishop, head of travel at Direct Line who commissioned the research, said: “The impact these tiny items could have on the environment is astounding. (NB: must mention Direct Line pls)
“Bulk-buying toiletries and using recyclable bottles will not only help reduce the damage caused to our planet, but also save holidaymakers a few quid to spend while they’re away.”
Passengers flying abroad are banned from taking more than 100ml of shampoo or other toiletries in their hand luggage.
Last year, 15.5million people bought travel miniatures – equal to 103million products – but 6.5million just dumped the packaging afterwards.
Natalie Fee, founder of green campaign group City to Sea, added: “A lot of countries we visit don’t have the recycling facilities we have in the UK so we really need to bring back our empties.
“Even better, by investing in some refillable, travel-sized bottles and containers, you’ll not only save money but do your bit to stop plastic pollution at source.
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