We have previously published articles on the impact that plastic rubbish has on the marine environment (Problematic microplastics, June 14th 2016, and Microplastics – too little too late? 1st July 2016). It’s a hot topic, but makes for a depressing read.
So it comes as a pleasant change to learn that recent government data has revealed that England’s plastic bag usage has dropped by 85% since the 5p charge was introduced in October 2015. This equates to a massive 6bn reduction in plastic bags being issued.
Of course, there are still huge amounts of plastic materials being dumped, including bottles and disposable coffee cups, which make their way to our waterways and ultimately our oceans, but this is a great first step in the clean-up of our oceans and environment.
