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Revealed
WHAT A WASTE

Brit’s shocking photos of 4,490 pieces of plastic he used in a year… and 70 per cent can’t be recycled

CAMPAIGNER Daniel Webb has revealed how much plastic we get through in the UK and how little of it is recycled.

For a year Mr Webb, from Margate, Kent, collected all his waste plastic which amounted to 4,490 individual pieces.

Daniel Webb collected all of his plastic waste over a year, keeping nearly 5,000 individual pieces of plastic
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Daniel Webb collected all of his plastic waste over a year, keeping nearly 5,000 individual pieces of plasticCredit: Press Association

His commitment to collecting waste plastic has revealed that 295 billion are thrown away in the UK every year, as his plastic consumption is close to average levels.

He found that the majority of his plastic waste was unrecyclable.

After totting up all plastic waste he binned Mr Webb realised some 93 per cent was single-use packaging, and two thirds was used to wrap food.

His Everyday Plastic report, compiled with Dr Julie Schneider, estimates that 70 per cent would not be recycled.

The report found that 93 per cent of the collected waste was single-use packaging
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The report found that 93 per cent of the collected waste was single-use packagingCredit: Press Association
Mr Webb's plastic consumption is the same as an average UK citizen
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Mr Webb's plastic consumption is the same as an average UK citizenCredit: PA:Press Association
Most of the plastic waste he collected is unrecyclable
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Most of the plastic waste he collected is unrecyclableCredit: PA:Press Association

Only a tenth would, of which four per cent would be at UK facilities.

The remainder goes to landfill or is burned.

Mr Webb raised concerns that plastic recycling in the UK was a "poorly funded system" which needs significant investment and improvement.

He said: "We can't just rely on recycling to fix plastic pollution.

While plastic bottles are fully recyclable, many other single-use plastics aren't
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While plastic bottles are fully recyclable, many other single-use plastics aren'tCredit: PA:Press Association
Mr Webb counted 4,490 plastic waste items in one year
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Mr Webb counted 4,490 plastic waste items in one yearCredit: PA:Press Association
He did this report to show the issue of plastic waste in the UK needs to be solved
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He did this report to show the issue of plastic waste in the UK needs to be solvedCredit: PA:Press Association

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"Most importantly, we need to produce and use much less plastic.

“Our fast-moving disposable society means we are using more single-use things than ever. We need to rethink how we consume.”

The UK is not doing enough to reduce its plastic waste
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The UK is not doing enough to reduce its plastic wasteCredit: PA:Press Association
295 billion individual pieces of plastic are thrown away in the UK every year
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295 billion individual pieces of plastic are thrown away in the UK every yearCredit: PA:Press Association
Mr Webb says it is a 'poorly funded system'
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Mr Webb says it is a 'poorly funded system'Credit: PA:Press Association

Dr Schneider said: “Plastic bottles can be recycled but what about film that wraps our veg, pasta and sweets? All the plastic packaging stamped with the 'not currently recycled' logo?

"It turns out that 70 per cent of Daniel's plastic waste is not currently recyclable. This is an issue that needs to be addressed urgently. "

70 per cent of plastic waste is unrecyclable
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70 per cent of plastic waste is unrecyclableCredit: PA:Press Association
Experts say there is too much plastic being made
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Experts say there is too much plastic being madeCredit: PA:Press Association
Mr Webb says 'We can't just rely on recycling to fix plastic pollution'
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Mr Webb says 'We can't just rely on recycling to fix plastic pollution'Credit: PA:Press Association

Hugo Tagholm, of charity Surfers Against Sewage, said: “The report exposes the sheer diversity and volume of single-use plastic we navigate daily, but as alarmingly, the inadequacy of current recycling systems, which only return a paltry amount of material back to shop shelves.

"Reducing the use of pointless plastics is a priority - there is just too much plastic currently being made."

The average Brit throws away 4,490 individual pieces of plastic every year
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The average Brit throws away 4,490 individual pieces of plastic every yearCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
BBC documentary sees presenter Liz Bonnin travel to the world's plastic hotspots to reveal the impact it's having on marine life
  • Firms which account for a fifth of the world’s plastic packaging, including Unilever and Coca Cola, have signed a global pledge to tackle the problem.
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