Plastic Waste and Brexit viewed as big problems in the UK— Here’s a possible reason why

UK Consumers are just as concerned with plastic waste as Brexit. 35% of 2,000 Britons polled stated that plastic waste was a big concern whilst 34% said Brexit was a big concern, a recent survey by Delineate has shown.

The Delineate founder and CEO, James Turner, said in his statement: “The fact that single-use plastic waste is as big a concern as the effects of Brexit sends a strong message to politicians, manufacturers, food retailers and the hospitality industry that better and bigger measures are expected.”

It is no surprise that plastic waste is becoming a concern for the British public. Researchers have found that marine plastic pollution is costing the world $3300 to $33,000 per tonne of marine plastic per year. The Guardian has shown the effect of plastic waste on islands such as the Galápagos which are being threatened by plastic pollution.

Stories are emerging constantly about the state of our oceans and the effect that our waste is having on the planet.

So for those of you who are wondering why Brits are more concerned about plastic waste than a political and legal termination of an old agreement, I think it’s all about the ability to take action.

Constructive journalism is a movement which aims to highlight more helpful and proactive solutions to the world’s problems. For some constructive journalism may have connotations for positive news — fluffy feel-good articles which make you feel better about the world. There is nothing wrong with this sort of content and a lot of outlets do this incredibly well, constructive journalism is more about reporting that is rigorous and interrogates solutions to problems.

Instead of focusing on the issue and creating apathy, constructive journalism provides solutions and often will highlight ways in which the reader can get involved or contribute to the solution.

When we consider the different shared knowledge around plastic waste and Brexit, you can probably argue that more people know about recycling than the political ins and outs of a lengthy termination of an agreement that has been infused with the UK’s own laws. The prevalence and encouragement by councils to recycle is more personal and accessible than something that happens miles away from your home and is in the hands of politicians who you have never met.

If I was to ask the average person if they could do anything about Brexit, they would probably say no. If I asked the public how they could do something about climate change, they would probably say recycling and refusing plastic bags because these solutions have been made accessible to the public. Without having a degree in politics or law, very few people can say they are an expert in the changing nature of the Brexit situation.

Initiatives such as Plastic-Free July have made tackling climate change, a grass roots movement. You can voluntarily take part in zero waste months, cram all your trash into a jar and prove to the world that being zero waste isn’t that hard. You can stop using disposable cups and get reusable ones. You can bring your own bag to the supermarket instead of paying for a plastic bag. You can use a metal water bottle, and stop buying food literally smothered in plastic. You can make your own bath and beauty products which don’t involve plastic bottles or tubs.

Recycling, especially plastics, is not a cure-all to the increasing problem of single-use waste. More people are switching to sustainable and more conscious ways of controlling waste: composting, reusable straws, bringing a metallic water bottle, reducing the amount of packaged and processed foods you purchase.

This is not to say that this is all good and suitable for everyone. Zero Waste lifestyles have become moral status symbols with influencers showing how being minimalist and zero waste is just so achievable. Renee Peters, a green life blogger and model, has captured the problem of pressuring people to be zero waste after she tried to be zero waste for a month:

I saw first-hand that waste-free living is nearly impossible if you aren’t extremely diligent and privileged to be so in the first place. — Renee Peters.

As reported by the Guardian, plastic bottles are now the main plastic found in rivers. About 80% of plastic that ends up in our oceans comes from rivers.

Surfers against Sewage and brands such as Surfdome have provided other ways of helping fight the amount of plastic that is ending up on our beaches. The Big Spring Beach Clean is the UK’s largest annual clean-up and it has expanded to the mountains. Taking place on 6–14 April, Surfers Against Sewage has managed to encourage 30,000 volunteers at 500 beach, river, city and mountain locations across the UK.

Surfdome, an action sports online retailer which includes brands such as Patagonia and etc, has made an active effort in becoming more sustainable and that includes making 97% of their outbound packaging plastic-free. The company is taking steps but it also offers its consumers active ways to help the plastic problem. They support the #2MinuteBeachClean — a campaign led by Martin Dorey and Tab Parry. The #2MinuteBeachClean encourages people to just clean the beach two minutes at a time and using twitter/instagram to highlight your work to the wider social media community. It’s about creating a community where people encourage each other to do whatever they can.

The point is that unlike Brexit which seems distant and non-personal, climate change and plastic waste is too close for comfort. You read a couple of articles about Brexit, and you feel more frustrated than when you started. If you feel bad about the environment, you can think of at least 3 things you can do personally to help.

People want to help. They can’t do that if the thing they want to help with is so far removed from the realities people face on a daily basis.