This May, households, businesses and schools across the UK are being asked to count the plastic they recycle and throw away. “But hang on EcoVibe aren’t we meant to be reducing plastic rather than counting it?” Absolutely! We hope The Big Plastic Count will help us do exactly that.
The Big Plastic Count recognises that a lot of day-to-day items aren’t plastic-free. To make a change, we all need to rally together to show big businesses, and the government, that we are drowning in plastic and that something needs to change.
By tracking what we use and where it goes, we can give the government some real data about the issue at hand and encourage real change in parliament. Together we can make a big difference.
To help you get involved, we’ve covered everything you need to know about The Big Plastic Count, from the team behind it, to how to get your plastic-free starter kit.
WHO'S BEHIND THE BIG PLASTIC COUNT?
Greenpeace and Everyday Plastic have teamed up to create the UK’s biggest nationwide investigation into household plastic waste.
If you don’t know who Everyday Plastic are, they're an organisation that helps both individuals and organisations understand the realities of their plastic use and how to make a difference. Since September 2019, they’ve been piloting smaller scale projects across the UK.
WHEN IS IT?
This isn’t a lifelong commitment to counting your waste, just one week between the 16-22 May 2022.
WHY SHOULD I GET INVOLVED?
At EcoVibe, we truly believe in the power of community and that individuals coming together can create real change. And that real change is exactly what we need.
Looking for a way to make a positive impact in 2022? The Big Plastic Count is going to help you do exactly that. It’s time to become part of something bigger than us all!
HOW DO I GET INVOLVED?
Sign up for the Big Plastic Count via their website. They’ll send you a digital pack (or a paper one in the post if you’d prefer) which tells you how and what to count and gives you a handy plastic waste tally sheet so you can keep a track of your plastic.
IS THERE ANYTHING I DON'T HAVE TO COUNT?
There are indeed. Any composite materials like coffee cups and Tetra Pak cartons are really difficult to trace so they won’t be part of this initial process.
Similarly, at the moment a lot of medical items have no alternative (something that absolutely needs to change) so these won’t be part of the count either.
HOW DO I SUBMIT MY RESULTS?
Once the week is over, we have until the end of May to submit our results online.
WILL I LEARN ANYTHING NEW?
We absolutely think you will! The physical act of counting our plastic waste is sure to be a wake-up call, but this isn’t about individuals feeling guilty. We get it, at the moment reducing plastic in all areas of our lives isn’t accessible or appropriate to all, and is often less affordable. This change needs to come from the top.
When you submit your results you’ll gain knowledge of your household’s plastic footprint and details of what is happening to that waste when it leaves your home. You’ll then also get some real advice regarding what you can do as an individual to make some small changes.
All of this data, collectively, will show the real scale of the issue and create a wave of real change that will benefit our planet!
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT NOW?
The UK Government is going to start creating legal targets for reducing plastic waste this year. Great news right? Of course! The issue is that at the moment there isn’t enough data about how much plastic waste leaves UK households and what happens to it, so the government is putting plans together without all the information they really need.
The Big Plastic Count is a way of helping the government truly understand the scale of the problem.
HOW WILL THIS DATA BE USED?
The team behind the Big Plastic Count believe we need to see a dramatic change, and we need to see it soon. That’s why they will be working to convince the government that single-use plastics should be reduced by 50% in the next 3 years and there should be a ban on sending UK waste to other countries.
All your individual data will be completely anonymised.
CAN ANYONE JOIN?
Absolutely! The more data the better. As Viber's, we know that you care about the planet and reducing your plastic waste which is fantastic but why not encourage friends and family who know a little less about the environment to get involved too? The more data we can gather the more information that the Big Plastic Count can take to the government.
Want to do a good deed? Why not offer to help a neighbour count their plastic for waste. It could be a great way of getting to know each other!
WILL ECOVIBE BE GETTING INVOLVED?
We sure will be! As well as encouraging our community to get involved we’ll also be counting up how much plastic we consume in our office. Because every piece of data is important.
READY TO GET COUNTING?
Could 2022 be the year the UK’s plastic consumption takes a U-turn? We certainly hope so. Now you know exactly what The Big Plastic count is and how to get involved. We’ve also explained why this information is so important and how we hope this can make a big change.
Together our Viber's have planted woodlands and saved endangered habitats, can we impact the law as well? It’s all about us working together to save the planet and we love to see it!
Want to share your favourite counting tips? Make sure you tag us on social media!